(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-995F-1a, G.W. Griffee OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by G.W. Griffee, operating in Zanesville, 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. With 4 known varieties, G.W. Griffee produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 995F-1a) is common among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 4 cataloged varieties, G.W. Griffee was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 995F-1a