(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-880A-1A, IN

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from D.H. Haines & Bro. of Swan, Indiana, cataloged as Fuld 880A-1A. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. With 2 known varieties, D.H. Haines & Bro. produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 880A-1A) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 2 cataloged varieties, D.H. Haines & Bro. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 880A-1A