(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-460E-2b, M.H. Good IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of M.H. Good, 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. M.H. Good issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 460E-2b) is common to somewhat scarce. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, M.H. Good was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460E-2b