(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-890A-1a, Fauley & Brechbill OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$338 MS63BN 11-22-2022 eBay

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Fauley & Brechbill, located in Uniontown, Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. With 2 known varieties, Fauley & Brechbill produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 890A-1a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The federal government's response to the coin shortage included issuing fractional currency in denominations as small as three cents, but these paper notes wore out quickly and were unpopular with merchants. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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 2 cataloged varieties, Fauley & Brechbill was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 890A-1a