(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-460I-1B, IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from J.B. Johnson, 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. J.B. Johnson issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 460I-1B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 6 cataloged varieties, J.B. Johnson was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460I-1B