(1864) Civil War Store Card F-810A-2a, D. S. Gould IN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,000 MS65BN 09-11-2023 eBay

Description

Fuld 810A-2a — store card of D. S. Gould, Rochester, Indiana. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. D. S. Gould issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 810A-2a) is common for this merchant. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Merchants who issued tokens during the Civil War provided a critical public service by maintaining the ability to make change for routine purchases at a time when federal coinage had nearly vanished from everyday commerce. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 5 cataloged varieties, D. S. Gould was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 810A-2a