(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-5A-5b, Stoner & Shroyer OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Stoner & Shroyer of Adamsville, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 5A-5b. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. With 40 cataloged die varieties, Stoner & Shroyer was one of the most prolific token issuers in the series. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 5A-5b) is common to somewhat scarce. 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. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 40 cataloged varieties, Stoner & Shroyer was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 5A-5b