(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-100A-1a, R.S. Torrey ME

Coin Details

Description

R.S. Torrey of Bangor issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Maine was a solidly Unionist state, but its relatively isolated location resulted in very few Civil War store card issues. With 3 known varieties, R.S. Torrey produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 100A-1a) is common for this merchant. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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 3 cataloged varieties, R.S. Torrey was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 100A-1a