(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-975G-1b, John Leis OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by John Leis in Ohio. 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 4 known varieties, John Leis produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 975G-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 4 cataloged varieties, John Leis was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 975G-1b