(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-500D-1a, W. & J.R. Bunyan IN

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by W. & J.R. Bunyan, operating in Kendallville, Indiana. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. With 2 known varieties, W. & J.R. Bunyan produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 500D-1a) is common among the known varieties. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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, W. & J.R. Bunyan was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 500D-1a