(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150A-1a, Arbeiter KY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$288 MS64BN 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Arbeiter Halle, operating in Covington, Kentucky. 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-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 4 cataloged varieties, Arbeiter Halle was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150A-1a