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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Craddick & Homan, a Danville, Indiana business. 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. The zinc composition of this variety (Fuld 230B-1I) is scarce for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 5 cataloged varieties, Craddick & Homan was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 230B-1I