(1864) Brass Civil War Store Card F-620A-2b, W.W. Cotteral, P.M. IN

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from W.W. Cotteral, P.M. of Middletown, Indiana, cataloged as Fuld 620A-2b. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. W.W. Cotteral, P.M. issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 620A-2b) is common to somewhat scarce. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, W.W. Cotteral, P.M. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 620A-2b