(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-190D-5b, J.L. & G.F. Rowe IN

Coin Details

Description

J.L. & G.F. Rowe, a Corunna merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. J.L. & G.F. Rowe issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 190D-5b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 6 cataloged varieties, J.L. & G.F. Rowe was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 190D-5b