(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-470A-2A, IN

Coin Details

Description

G.W. Wayland, a Jamestown merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. With 3 known varieties, G.W. Wayland produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 470A-2A) 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. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 3 cataloged varieties, G.W. Wayland was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 470A-2A