(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-175G-2A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from D.W. Gage of Cleveland, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 175G-2A. 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. D.W. Gage issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 175G-2A) is common for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. 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, D.W. Gage was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 175G-2A