(1863) Civil War Store Card F-150A-2a, Arbeiter Halle KY

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Arbeiter Halle in Covington, Kentucky, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Kentucky was a critical border state maintaining Union loyalty while deeply divided. Louisville served as a major supply depot and source of merchant tokens. With 4 known varieties, Arbeiter Halle produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 150A-2a) is common for this merchant. 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 4 cataloged varieties, Arbeiter Halle was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150A-2a