(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-700A-4a, H. Dobson RI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$45 AU58BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Arcade House in Rhode Island. Rhode Island was an important manufacturing center in textiles and jewelry, with Providence merchants issuing Civil War tokens for daily commerce. Arcade House issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 700A-4a) is common. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Many Civil War tokens were produced in quantities far exceeding actual commercial need, as die sinkers and merchants recognized the speculative collecting interest that was already developing. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 8 cataloged varieties, Arcade House was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 700A-4a