(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-445A-6a, Geo. D. Riegel OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$456 MS64BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from Geo. D. Riegel of Laurelvill, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 445A-6a. 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. Geo. D. Riegel issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 445A-6a) is common for this merchant. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. 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 8 cataloged varieties, Geo. D. Riegel was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 445A-6a