(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-860G-4A, IN

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 860G-4A — store card of George Wyman, South Bend, Indiana. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. George Wyman issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 860G-4A) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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-4A