(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-200A-6b, John Grether OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by John Grether, operating in Columbus, Ohio. As Ohio's capital, Columbus saw enormous wartime military activity, and its merchants issued tokens to facilitate commerce amid the acute coin shortage. The 12 cataloged varieties for John Grether indicate a notable level of token production. This brass striking (Fuld 200A-6b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. 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 12 cataloged varieties, John Grether was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 200A-6b