(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-800B-5A, IN

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by G.P. Emswiler & Co., operating in Richmond, Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. The 10 cataloged varieties for G.P. Emswiler & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 800B-5A) is common for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 10 cataloged varieties, G.P. Emswiler & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 800B-5A