(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-880E-5a, David Kelley OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from David Kelley, a Troy, Ohio business. Troy was a manufacturing center on the Hudson River known for its iron and steel production, including horseshoe and railroad spike industries. David Kelley issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 880E-5a) is common for this merchant. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 5 cataloged varieties, David Kelley was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 880E-5a