(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-730A-4a, Drs. Brown & Dills OH

Coin Details

Description

Drs. Brown & Dills, a Piqua merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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. Drs. Brown & Dills issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 730A-4a) is common. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. 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 9 cataloged varieties, Drs. Brown & Dills was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 730A-4a