(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-750M-1a, F. & L. Ladner PA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$115 MS65BN 04-15-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

F. & L. Ladner, a Phila merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. With 3 known varieties, F. & L. Ladner produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 750M-1a) is common among the known varieties. 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 production during the Civil War represented the largest private coinage movement in American history, with an estimated 25 million pieces struck between 1862 and 1864. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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, F. & L. Ladner was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 750M-1a