(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-690E-6do, Ni Walker & Napier TN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Ni Walker & Napier, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville fell to Union forces in February 1862 and served as a critical supply base for the remainder of the war. Merchant tokens from Nashville date to the Union occupation period. Ni Walker & Napier issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This piece is an overstrike struck over a host coin, an 1863 Indian Head cent. Traces of the original design may be visible beneath the new impressions. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864.

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. Overstrike varieties are generally scarcer than tokens struck on blank planchets, as they required sourcing and re-striking existing coins. With 9 cataloged varieties, Ni Walker & Napier was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 690E-6do