(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-460K-2b, J.F. Lenour IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by J.F. Lenour of Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. J.F. Lenour issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 460K-2b) is common to somewhat scarce. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. 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. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 5 cataloged varieties, J.F. Lenour was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460K-2b