(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-460S-2a, Smith & Taylor IN

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Smith & Taylor in Indianapolis, Indiana, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. As Indiana's capital and a major railroad hub, Indianapolis was the center of the state's Civil War token production, with merchants using tokens as practical emergency currency. With 2 known varieties, Smith & Taylor produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 460S-2a) 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. 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 2 cataloged varieties, Smith & Taylor was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 460S-2a