(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-360B-3a, T.P. Turpen OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of T.P. Turpen, located in Greenville, 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. T.P. Turpen issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 360B-3a) is common among the known varieties. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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, T.P. Turpen was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 360B-3a