(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150A-4a, Arbeiter KY

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Arbeiter Halle of Covington, Kentucky, cataloged as Fuld 150A-4a. 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-4a) is common for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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-4a