(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-930D-3a, S.F. Snow OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of S.F. Snow in West Unity, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. With 4 known varieties, S.F. Snow produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 930D-3a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. 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 4 cataloged varieties, S.F. Snow was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 930D-3a