(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-190C-1a, John Childs IN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$84 AU58BN 10-14-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of John Childs, located in Corunna, Indiana. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 190C-1a) is common. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Token production during the Civil War represented the largest private coinage movement in American history, with an estimated 25 million pieces struck between 1862 and 1864. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 1 cataloged varieties, John Childs was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 190C-1a