(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-460H-1A, IN

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by C.L. Holmes, operating in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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. C.L. Holmes issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 460H-1A) is common. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 6 cataloged varieties, C.L. Holmes was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460H-1A