(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-445A-2b, Geo. D. Riegel OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Geo. D. Riegel, operating in Laurelvill, 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. Geo. D. Riegel issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This brass striking (Fuld 445A-2b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 8 cataloged varieties, Geo. D. Riegel was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 445A-2b