(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-460E-2I, IN

Coin Details

Description

M.H. Good, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. As Indiana's capital and a major railroad hub, Indianapolis was the center of the state's Civil War token production, with merchants using tokens as practical emergency currency. M.H. Good issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This zinc striking (Fuld 460E-2I) is scarce among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 7 cataloged varieties, M.H. Good was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460E-2I