(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-100B-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from E.G. Selbys, a Bryan, Ohio business. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. E.G. Selbys issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 100B-3A) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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, E.G. Selbys was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 100B-3A