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

Coin Details

Description

E.G. Selbys, based in Bryan, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 100B-3D) is somewhat scarce 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. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 8 cataloged varieties, E.G. Selbys was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 100B-3D