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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of I. P. Sherwood, located in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. I. P. Sherwood issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 175M-2A) is common. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 8 cataloged varieties, I. P. Sherwood was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 175M-2A