(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-765D-2a, J.A. Eckert PA

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from J.A. Eckert of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, cataloged as Fuld 765D-2a. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. J.A. Eckert issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 765D-2a) is common among the known varieties. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 5 cataloged varieties, J.A. Eckert was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765D-2a