(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-550K-2b, J.C. Zimmerman IN

Coin Details

Description

Store card of J.C. Zimmerman in Ligonier, Indiana, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. With 3 known varieties, J.C. Zimmerman produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 550K-2b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 3 cataloged varieties, J.C. Zimmerman was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 550K-2b