(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-600F-10a, Stockman & Co. TN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,110 MS63BN 04-15-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Stockman & Co. of Memphis issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War 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 17 cataloged varieties for Stockman & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 600F-10a) is common among the known varieties. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 17 cataloged varieties, Stockman & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 600F-10a