(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-570E-3a, Krug & Reed IN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$80 XF45BN 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War store card issued by King & Reed of Logansport, Indiana. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. With 3 known varieties, King & Reed produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 570E-3a) is common for this merchant. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. 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 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 3 cataloged varieties, King & Reed was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 570E-3a