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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Petersen's, located in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. 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. The silver composition of this variety (Fuld 464A-2f) is rare for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The silver composition indicates a piece produced outside the normal commercial run, as a numismatic item.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 30 cataloged varieties, Petersen's was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 464A-2f