(1863) Zinc Civil War Store Card F-870A-2i, Price Brothers IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Price Brothers, a Sullivan, Indiana business. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. Price Brothers issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This zinc striking (Fuld 870A-2i) is scarce among the known varieties. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Zinc strikings are uncommon and prone to corrosion, making preserved examples desirable. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 6 cataloged varieties, Price Brothers was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 870A-2i