(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-800B-3B, IN

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from G.P. Emswiler & Co. of Richmond, Indiana, cataloged as Fuld 800B-3B. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. The 10 cataloged varieties for G.P. Emswiler & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 800B-3B) is common to somewhat scarce. 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. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 10 cataloged varieties, G.P. Emswiler & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 800B-3B