(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-860B-3a, Hough & Hall OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Hough & Hall of Toledo, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 860B-3a. Toledo was a growing Lake Erie port city and railroad hub, handling grain and lumber shipments that fueled the Northern war economy. With 2 known varieties, Hough & Hall produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 860B-3a) is common among the known varieties. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Token production during the Civil War represented the largest private coinage movement in American history, with an estimated 25 million pieces struck between 1862 and 1864. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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, Hough & Hall was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 860B-3a