(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-700A-9a, H. Dobson RI

Coin Details

Description

Arcade House of Rhode Island produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. This copper striking (Fuld 700A-9a) is common among the known varieties. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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-9a