(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-860A-1b, C.P. Curtis OH

Coin Details

Description

C.P. Curtis, a Toledo merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Toledo was a growing Lake Erie port city and railroad hub, handling grain and lumber shipments that fueled the Northern war economy. C.P. Curtis issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 860A-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 6 cataloged varieties, C.P. Curtis was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 860A-1b