(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-460F-2b, J.B. Grout IN

Coin Details

Description

J.B. Grout, an Indianapolis merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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. J.B. Grout issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 460F-2b) is common to somewhat scarce. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Fuld 460F-2b