(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-200I-5a, Wagner's OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Wagner's, 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. Wagner's issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 200I-5a) is common for this merchant. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 6 cataloged varieties, Wagner's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 200I-5a