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

Coin Details

Description

J.F. Lenour of Indiana issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. J.F. Lenour issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 460K-1A) is common for this merchant. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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, J.F. Lenour was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460K-1A