(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-430D-1a, Jesse Davies IN

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Jesse Davies, operating in Huntington, Indiana. 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, Jesse Davies produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 430D-1a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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, Jesse Davies was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 430D-1a