(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-460Y-1b, J.B. Wilson IN

Coin Details

Description

Store card of J.B. Wilson in Indianapolis, Indiana, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. As Indiana's capital and a major railroad hub, Indianapolis was the center of the state's Civil War token production, with merchants using tokens as practical emergency currency. J.B. Wilson issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 460Y-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 6 cataloged varieties, J.B. Wilson was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460Y-1b