(1863) White Metal Civil War Store Card F-464A-2e, GW-581 Petersen's Jewelers PA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$384 MS64 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from Petersen's of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, cataloged as Fuld 464A-2e. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. Petersen's produced 30 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. The white metal composition of this variety (Fuld 464A-2e) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. White metal strikings are less common than copper or brass and show more wear due to the soft alloy. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

White metal (tin alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and tend to show more wear due to the softness of the alloy. With 30 cataloged varieties, Petersen's was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 464A-2e