(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-185A-2a, Jacob Groyen IN

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 185A-2a — store card of Jacob Groyen, Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. Jacob Groyen issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 185A-2a) is common among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 5 cataloged varieties, Jacob Groyen was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 185A-2a