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

Coin Details

Description

Store card of J.F. Lenour in Indianapolis, Indiana, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. The 10 cataloged varieties for J.F. Lenour indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 460R-1B) is common to somewhat scarce. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 10 cataloged varieties, J.F. Lenour was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460R-1B