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

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from George Wyman of South Bend, Indiana, cataloged as Fuld 860G-1A. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. George Wyman issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 860G-1A) is common for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 7 cataloged varieties, George Wyman was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 860G-1A