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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of W.W. Cotteral, P.M., located in Middletown, Indiana. 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. This copper striking (Fuld 620A-2a) is common 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. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 7 cataloged varieties, W.W. Cotteral, P.M. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 620A-2a