(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-695A-4b, J.F. Seas OH

Coin Details

Description

J.F. Seas, an Orville merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. J.F. Seas issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 695A-4b) is common to somewhat scarce. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. 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. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, J.F. Seas was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 695A-4b