(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-115B-9b, J.J. Squier OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of J.J. Squier, located in Cambridge, Ohio. Ohio produced more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state, driven by Cincinnati's role as the largest inland city and a Union Army supply hub. With 2 known varieties, J.J. Squier produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 115B-9b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 2 cataloged varieties, J.J. Squier was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 115B-9b