(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630A-8B, IN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of H.D. Higgins, located in Mishawaka, Indiana. H.D. Higgins operated as a jeweler and optician in Mishawaka, Indiana, but he was also a die-sinker who produced dies for numerous Civil War tokens, including a group known as "Indiana Primitives" characterized by their crude, folk-art style. Higgins represents the intersection of merchant and manufacturer in the CW token world. This brass striking (Fuld 630A-8B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. 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. 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 19 cataloged varieties, H.D. Higgins was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630A-8B