(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-464A-1a, Petersen's PA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$90 MS63BN 04-15-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Petersen's, operating in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. Petersen's produced 30 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 464A-1a) is common for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. 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 Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 30 cataloged varieties, Petersen's was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 464A-1a