(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-700A-5a, H. Dobson RI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Arcade House of Rhode Island, cataloged as Fuld 700A-5a. 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. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 700A-5a) is common for this merchant. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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-5a