(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630A-4b, H.D. Higgins IN

Coin Details

Description

H.D. Higgins, a Mishawaka merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. H.D. Higgins operated as a jeweler and optician in Mishawaka, Indiana, but he was also a die-sinker who produced dies for numerous Civil War tokens, including a group known as "Indiana Primitives" characterized by their crude, folk-art style. Higgins represents the intersection of merchant and manufacturer in the CW token world. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 630A-4b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 19 cataloged varieties, H.D. Higgins was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630A-4b