(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-175N-5D, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from J.P. Sherwood of Ohio. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. J.P. Sherwood issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 175N-5D) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 7 cataloged varieties, J.P. Sherwood was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 175N-5D