(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-230A-1D, IN

Coin Details

Description

R.K. Carter, a Danville merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. With 4 known varieties, R.K. Carter produced a modest number of token types. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 230A-1D) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 4 cataloged varieties, R.K. Carter was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 230A-1D