(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-530G-1A, IN

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from L.D. Webber of Laporte, Indiana, cataloged as Fuld 530G-1A. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. With 3 known varieties, L.D. Webber produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 530G-1A) is common among the known varieties. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 3 cataloged varieties, L.D. Webber was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 530G-1A