(1861-65) Civil War Store Card F-460K-2a, J.F. Lenour IN

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 460K-2a — store card of J.F. Lenour, Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. J.F. Lenour issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 460K-2a) is common. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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, J.F. Lenour was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460K-2a