(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BE-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Segars of Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165BE-3A. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Segars issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165BE-3A) is common for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. 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. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 7 cataloged varieties, Segars was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BE-3A