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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of S.J.M. Loomis, located in Kendallville, Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. S.J.M. Loomis issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This brass striking (Fuld 500N-1B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 5 cataloged varieties, S.J.M. Loomis was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 500N-1B