(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-745B-5d, S.W. Cunning OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from S.W. Cunning, a Portsmouth, Ohio business. 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. S.W. Cunning issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 745B-5d) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. 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-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 9 cataloged varieties, S.W. Cunning was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 745B-5d