(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-620A-3d, W.W. Cotteral, P.M. IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from W.W. Cotteral, P.M., a Middletown, Indiana business. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. W.W. Cotteral, P.M. issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 620A-3d) is somewhat scarce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 7 cataloged varieties, W.W. Cotteral, P.M. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 620A-3d