(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-175L-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

T.J. Quinlan of Cleveland issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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. With 4 known varieties, T.J. Quinlan produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 175L-4A) is common among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 4 cataloged varieties, T.J. Quinlan was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 175L-4A