(1863) Zinc Civil War Store Card F-460A-1i, Alvord, Cladwell & Alvord IN

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Alvord, Cladwell & Alvord, operating in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis served as a major Union military staging area, with Camp Morton housing Confederate prisoners and Governor Morton directing one of the war's most vigorous state efforts. Alvord, Cladwell & Alvord issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This zinc striking (Fuld 460A-1i) is scarce among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Zinc strikings are uncommon and prone to corrosion, making preserved examples desirable. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 5 cataloged varieties, Alvord, Cladwell & Alvord was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460A-1i