(1863) White Metal Civil War Store Card F-750M-4e, F & L Ladner PA

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from F. & L. Ladner of Phila, Pennsylvania, cataloged as Fuld 750M-4e. 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. The white metal composition of this variety (Fuld 750M-4e) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. White metal strikings are less common than copper or brass and show more wear due to the soft alloy. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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 3 cataloged varieties, F. & L. Ladner was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 750M-4e