(1864) Brass Civil War Store Card F-320A-1b, Bartlett & Rigby OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Bartlett & Rigby in Easton, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Ohio produced more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state, driven by Cincinnati's role as the largest inland city and a Union Army supply hub. With 4 known varieties, Bartlett & Rigby produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 320A-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 4 cataloged varieties, Bartlett & Rigby was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 320A-1b