(1861-65) Civil War Store Card F-740B-5a, J.S. Queeby IN

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J.S. Queeby, operating in Peru, Indiana. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. J.S. Queeby issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 740B-5a) is common. 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. Token production during the Civil War represented the largest private coinage movement in American history, with an estimated 25 million pieces struck between 1862 and 1864. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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 8 cataloged varieties, J.S. Queeby was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 740B-5a