(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-860B-1B, IN

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Blowney & Johnson of South Bend, Indiana, cataloged as Fuld 860B-1B. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. With 3 known varieties, Blowney & Johnson produced a modest number of token types. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 860B-1B) is common to somewhat scarce. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 3 cataloged varieties, Blowney & Johnson was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 860B-1B