(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-860G-7b, George Wyman IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from George Wyman, a South Bend, Indiana business. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. George Wyman issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 860G-7b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Fuld 860G-7b