(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-460Y-2A, IN

Coin Details

Description

J.B. Wilson, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. Wilson issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 460Y-2A) is common for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 6 cataloged varieties, J.B. Wilson was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460Y-2A