Token F-SNL-8Ab

Coin Details

Description

This token is designated SNL (Sine Nomine Loci — "without name of place") in the Fuld catalog, indicating that no specific merchant or geographic location can be identified from the die inscriptions. SNL tokens are among the most enigmatic pieces in the Civil War store card series. They may represent merchants whose identities have been lost, tokens produced speculatively for general sale, or pieces whose attribution remains undiscovered. Despite the lack of specific merchant information, SNL tokens circulated as emergency small change during the Civil War coin shortage of 1862-1864, when federal silver and copper coins were hoarded and private tokens filled the gap in daily commerce. The copper composition provided excellent durability for everyday handling. Merchant tokens in copper circulated freely alongside federal cents, and the familiar reddish-brown metal ensured ready acceptance in local commerce. Cataloged as Fuld SNL-8Ab in the Fuld Civil War token reference.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking, the standard metal for merchant tokens of this period. Fuld SNL-8Ab.