(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-550B-3B, IN

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 550B-3B — store card of Barney Bro., Ligonier, Indiana. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. Barney Bro. issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 550B-3B) is common to somewhat scarce. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 6 cataloged varieties, Barney Bro. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 550B-3B