(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-290E-2A, IN

Coin Details

Description

W.H. Brooks Jr., based in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. W.H. Brooks Jr. issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 290E-2A) is common. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 8 cataloged varieties, W.H. Brooks Jr. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 290E-2A