(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-830A-12d, W.G. Brain OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 830A-12d — store card of W.G. Brain, Springfld, Ohio. 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. The 14 cataloged varieties for W.G. Brain indicate a notable level of token production. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 830A-12d) is somewhat scarce 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. 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. 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-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 14 cataloged varieties, W.G. Brain was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 830A-12d