(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-480B-5a, John W. Lee KY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$780 MS65BN 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Store card of John W. Lee in Lexington, Kentucky, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Kentucky was a critical border state maintaining Union loyalty while deeply divided. Louisville served as a major supply depot and source of merchant tokens. The 18 cataloged varieties for John W. Lee indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 480B-5a) is common for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American 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 18 cataloged varieties, John W. Lee was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 480B-5a