(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-317a, Uniface Army & Navy

Coin Details

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 317a, featuring obverse die 317 — an "ARMY & NAVY" or military design — with the inscription "ARMY & NAVY" within a laurel wreath. This tribute to the Union military was one of the most popular reverse legends on Civil War tokens. Civil War tokens were privately struck cent-sized pieces that circulated as emergency currency during 1862-1864, when wartime hoarding drained federal coinage from commerce. 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. This undated piece was produced circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage.

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, Uniface Army & Navy was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 317a