(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-140A-1a, H. Linck IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from H. Linck, a Brookville, Indiana business. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. The 10 cataloged varieties for H. Linck indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 140A-1a) is common among the known varieties. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The transition from large copper cents to small-diameter bronze cents in 1857 had already created a shortage mindset, making the public particularly anxious about coin supplies when war began. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 10 cataloged varieties, H. Linck was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 140A-1a