(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-113-114A, Pater Patriae

Coin Details

Auction Record

$480 MS63BN 10-30-2018 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 113-114A, featuring the Latin inscription "PATER PATRIAE" (Father of his Country). The traditional title for George Washington. Cataloged under "Location Unknown" in the Fuld reference because the die combination carries no merchant or geographic attribution. Produced in copper, the dominant metal of Civil War token production. Copper tokens survive in greater numbers than any other composition, reflecting their enormous production volumes. The absence of a date is common for Civil War tokens, which were produced during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. The end of the token era came in 1864 when Congress authorized new small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of wartime monetary history.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 1 cataloged varieties, Pater Patriae was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 113-114A