(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-460H-3D, IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by C.L. Holmes of 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. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 460H-3D) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. 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 6 cataloged varieties, C.L. Holmes was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460H-3D