(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-370A-2d, E. & L. Small IN

Coin Details

Description

E. & L. Small, a Hagerstown merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. E. & L. Small issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 370A-2d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 9 cataloged varieties, E. & L. Small was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 370A-2d