(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-70A-1a, O.G. Metcalf OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from O.G. Metcalf of Belmont, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 70A-1a. 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. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 70A-1a) is common. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Civil War tokens circulated alongside postage currency, fractional currency notes, and encased postage stamps as substitutes for the federal coins that had disappeared from commercial channels. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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 1 cataloged varieties, O.G. Metcalf was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 70A-1a