(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-500F-1A, IN

Coin Details

Description

S.C. Evans & Co., based in Kendallville, Indiana, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. S.C. Evans & Co. issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 500F-1A) is common for this merchant. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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, S.C. Evans & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 500F-1A