(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-190A-1a, Sam'l Beck IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Sam'l. Beck of Corunna, Indiana. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. With 3 known varieties, Sam'l. Beck produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 190A-1a) is common among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The transition from large copper cents to small-diameter bronze cents in 1857 had already created a shortage mindset, making the public particularly anxious about coin supplies when war began. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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, Sam'l. Beck was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 190A-1a