(1861) Copper Civil War Store Card F-350A-1a, W.A. Beane IN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,140 VF30BN 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Store card of W.A. Beane in Goshen, Indiana, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 350A-1a) is common. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Civil War tokens circulated alongside postage currency, fractional currency notes, and encased postage stamps as substitutes for the federal coins that had disappeared from commercial channels. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 1 cataloged varieties, W.A. Beane was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 350A-1a