(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-460R-6b, J.F. Lenour IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of J.F. Lenour, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis served as a major Union military staging area, with Camp Morton housing Confederate prisoners and Governor Morton directing one of the war's most vigorous state efforts. The 10 cataloged varieties for J.F. Lenour indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 460R-6b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 10 cataloged varieties, J.F. Lenour was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460R-6b