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

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Craddick & Homan of Danville, Indiana, cataloged as Fuld 230B-1D. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. Craddick & Homan issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 230B-1D) is somewhat scarce. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 5 cataloged varieties, Craddick & Homan was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 230B-1D