(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-570G-2A, IN

Coin Details

Description

McDonald & Co., based in Logansport, 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. With 2 known varieties, McDonald & Co. produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 570G-2A) is common for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens.

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 2 cataloged varieties, McDonald & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 570G-2A