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

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Charles Kuhn of Indianapolis, Indiana, cataloged as Fuld 460J-1A. 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. Charles Kuhn issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 460J-1A) is common for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 5 cataloged varieties, Charles Kuhn was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460J-1A