(1863) Civil War Store Card F-330A-1A, P. Close OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$360 MS64 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of P. Close, located in Fremont, 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, P. Close produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 330A-1A) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. 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 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

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 2 cataloged varieties, P. Close was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 330A-1A