(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-680A-2d, Ni A.W.E. MN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,600 MS65 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Ni A.W.E., a Red Wing merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Minnesota was a relatively new state (admitted 1858) also dealing with the Dakota War of 1862, yet its merchants issued store cards during the coin shortage. Ni A.W.E. issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 680A-2d) is common. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 9 cataloged varieties, Ni A.W.E. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 680A-2d