(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-355A-3d, C. Crooks & Co. IN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,800 MS64 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Fuld 355A-3d — store card of C. Crooks & Co., Granville, Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. C. Crooks & Co. issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 355A-3d) is somewhat scarce 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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. 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-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 6 cataloged varieties, C. Crooks & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 355A-3d