(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-970A-2a, J.G. Williams & Co. IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from J.G. Williams & Co., a Wheeling, Indiana business. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. With 4 known varieties, J.G. Williams & Co. produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 970A-2a) is common. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. 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. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 4 cataloged varieties, J.G. Williams & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 970A-2a