(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-770A-2a, B.L. Crew OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of B.L. Crew, located in Richmond, Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. B.L. Crew issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 770A-2a) is common for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 6 cataloged varieties, B.L. Crew was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 770A-2a