(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-780B-1a, H.B. Dickson & Co. IN

Coin Details

Description

H.B. Dickson & Co., based in Plymouth, Indiana, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 780B-1a) is common. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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, H.B. Dickson & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 780B-1a