(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-150A-1d, S.S. Early & Co. IN

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by S.S. Early & Co., operating in Brownstown, Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. With 2 known varieties, S.S. Early & Co. produced a modest number of token types. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 150A-1d) is somewhat scarce 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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. 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-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 2 cataloged varieties, S.S. Early & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150A-1d