(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-550A-1a, O. Arnold IN

Coin Details

Description

O. Arnold of Ligonier issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 550A-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. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Token issuers ranged from sole proprietors to large retail establishments, with some merchants ordering thousands of pieces while others had only a few hundred struck for local distribution. 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 1 cataloged varieties, O. Arnold was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 550A-1a