(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-175M-8a, J.P. Sherwood OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$100 UNC Details 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Fuld 175M-8a — store card of I. P. Sherwood, Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland was a major Lake Erie port and growing industrial center connected to Eastern markets by railroad and the Ohio & Erie Canal. I. P. Sherwood issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 175M-8a) is common for this merchant. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The coin shortage of 1862-1864 affected virtually every retail transaction in the Northern states, as hoarding removed silver and copper coins from circulation faster than the U.S. Mint could replace them. 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 8 cataloged varieties, I. P. Sherwood was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 175M-8a