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(1864) German-Silver Civil War Store Card F-700A-4j, H. Dobson RI

Strike Type

Coin Details

Year

1864

Denomination

Store Cards

Strike Type

Regular Strike

Series

Civil War Store Cards

Designer

Various private die sinkers including John Stanton, William Bridgens, and others

Composition

German-Silver

Weight

Diameter

19mm

Edge

Plain

Description

Store card of Arcade House in Rhode Island, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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 german-silver composition of this variety (Fuld 700A-4j) is scarce for this merchant. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. German silver (a copper-nickel-zinc alloy) strikings are sought after for their distinctive bright appearance. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

Rarity Notes

German silver (a copper-nickel-zinc alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and are sought after for their distinctive silvery appearance. With 8 cataloged varieties, Arcade House was a minor token issuer.