(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-175M-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

I. P. Sherwood 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. I. P. Sherwood issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 175M-3A) is common. 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 cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 8 cataloged varieties, I. P. Sherwood was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 175M-3A