(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-510A/514a, Presidents House

Coin Details

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 510A/514a, combining obverse die 510 — a portrait of Stephen A. Douglas, the 1860 Northern Democratic candidate — with reverse die 514 bearing a design depicting the President's House (White House). The 1860 political campaign die series includes portraits of all four presidential candidates: Lincoln, Douglas, Bell, and Breckinridge. These Benjamin True products from Cincinnati include pro-Southern designs paradoxically among the most prized by collectors. Struck in copper, the standard metal for Civil War tokens chosen because cent-sized copper pieces passed as substitute federal cents in everyday commerce. Without merchant identification on the dies, this token cannot be attributed to a specific issuer or location. Location Unknown store cards represent speculative die pairings produced for general circulation. The absence of a date is common for Civil War tokens, which were produced during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era.

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, Presidents House was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510A/514a