(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-530B-2a, J. Faller & Son IN

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 530B-2a — store card of J. Faller & Son, Laporte, Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. J. Faller & Son issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 530B-2a) is common. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. 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 5 cataloged varieties, J. Faller & Son was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 530B-2a