(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-600A-7a, Cossitt Hill & Co. TN

Coin Details

Description

Cossitt Hill & Co., a Memphis merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Tennessee was divided during the Civil War. Nashville fell to Union forces in 1862, and merchants in Union-controlled areas issued tokens as emergency small change. The 16 cataloged varieties for Cossitt Hill & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 600A-7a) is common. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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 16 cataloged varieties, Cossitt Hill & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 600A-7a