(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-800B-7A, IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of G.P. Emswiler & Co., located 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. This copper striking (Fuld 800B-7A) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. 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-7A