(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-13A-2a, Wm. Carson PA

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Wm. Carson in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. Wm. Carson issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 13A-2a) is common. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 6 cataloged varieties, Wm. Carson was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 13A-2a