(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-500J-2a, Jacobs & Co. IN

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Jacobs & Co. of Kendallville, Indiana, cataloged as Fuld 500J-2a. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. With 2 known varieties, Jacobs & Co. produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 500J-2a) is common for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 2 cataloged varieties, Jacobs & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 500J-2a