(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-530B-1a, J. Faller & Son IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by J. Faller & Son of Laporte, Indiana. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. J. Faller & Son issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 530B-1a) is common for this merchant. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. 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 5 cataloged varieties, J. Faller & Son was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 530B-1a