1861 Token Rulau Ct-Ha 13 Copper PE Alfred S. Robinson

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Alfred S. Robinson of Connecticut. Connecticut was a major arms manufacturing center during the Civil War, with the Colt factory in Hartford and Winchester in New Haven producing firearms for the Union. Connecticut merchants issued store cards as emergency small change. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce, with merchants issuing their own pieces to keep trade moving. The federal government's response to the coin shortage included issuing fractional currency in denominations as small as three cents, but these paper notes wore out quickly and were unpopular with merchants. Civil War tokens are collected by denomination type, state, city, and metal composition, with scarcer metals commanding significant premiums.

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, Alfred S. Robinson was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Rulau Ct Ha 13