(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-585A-3a, D. Giaugue OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of D. Giaugue in Mt. Eaton, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. With 3 known varieties, D. Giaugue produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 585A-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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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 3 cataloged varieties, D. Giaugue was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 585A-3a