(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-110A-5A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$646 AU58 01-10-2017 Heritage Auctions

Description

G.B. Barrett, based in Cadiz, 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. G.B. Barrett issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 110A-5A) is common for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. 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. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 9 cataloged varieties, G.B. Barrett was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 110A-5A