(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-535D-4a, H. Knobloch OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS65BN 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from H. Knobloch of Massillon, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 535D-4a. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. With 4 known varieties, H. Knobloch produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 535D-4a) is common among the known varieties. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. 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 4 cataloged varieties, H. Knobloch was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 535D-4a