(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-464A-2d, PA

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Petersen's, a Honesdale, Pennsylvania business. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. Petersen's produced 30 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 464A-2d) is somewhat scarce. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 30 cataloged varieties, Petersen's was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 464A-2d