(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-460R-2d, J.F. Senour IN

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 460R-2d — store card of J.F. Lenour, Indianapolis, Indiana. 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. The 10 cataloged varieties for J.F. Lenour indicate a notable level of token production. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 460R-2d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 10 cataloged varieties, J.F. Lenour was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460R-2d