(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-540B-1a, Maumee & Perrysburg OH

Coin Details

Description

Maumee & Perrysburg of Maumeecity issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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. With 2 known varieties, Maumee & Perrysburg produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 540B-1a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from 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 2 cataloged varieties, Maumee & Perrysburg was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 540B-1a