(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-175E-2d, S.S. Lavey IN

Coin Details

Description

S.S. Lavey, a Columbia merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. With 4 known varieties, S.S. Lavey produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 175E-2d) is somewhat scarce. 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. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. 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-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 4 cataloged varieties, S.S. Lavey was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 175E-2d