(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-175C-11D, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Cleveland, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 175C-11D. Cleveland's position on Lake Erie made it a vital shipping hub for wartime goods, and its merchants participated actively in the Civil War token phenomenon. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 175C-11D) is somewhat scarce. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 17 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 175C-11D