(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-100A-2a, Thompson & Wiley IN

Coin Details

Description

Thompson & Wiley, a Bethel merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. With 3 known varieties, Thompson & Wiley produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 100A-2a) is common. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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, Thompson & Wiley was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 100A-2a