(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-580B-3b, J.A. Hinshaw IN

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J.A. Hinshaw, operating in Lynn, Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. J.A. Hinshaw issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 580B-3b) is common to somewhat scarce. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 9 cataloged varieties, J.A. Hinshaw was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 580B-3b