No Date Token F690A-1b Brass PE Gold Pen Depot TN

Coin Details

Description

This undated Civil War era store card, cataloged as Fuld 690A-1b, is a brass patriotic edition token issued by the Gold Pen Depot of Tennessee. The Gold Pen Depot was a stationery and writing instrument retailer in Tennessee, selling the gold-nibbed fountain pens that were a luxury writing instrument of the mid-nineteenth century. This token combines commercial advertising for a specialized retail business with the practical function of emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Tennessee merchant tokens from the Civil War era are less common than those from Northern states, as the state's division between Union and Confederate control limited access to the Northern die-sinkers who produced most tokens. The brass composition and patriotic die pairing follow standard conventions for Civil War store cards.

Rarity Notes

Civil War store card, Fuld 690A-1b. Brass patriotic edition. Gold Pen Depot, TN. Interesting stationery trade association. Scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #522616; Fuld 690A-1b; Gold Pen Depot, TN