(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-460E-4D, IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from M.H. Good, an Indianapolis, Indiana business. 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 copper-nickel striking (Fuld 460E-4D) is somewhat 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. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. 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 7 cataloged varieties, M.H. Good was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460E-4D