(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-175O-1A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Chas. W. Stearns of Cleveland, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 175O-1A. 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. Chas. W. Stearns issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 175O-1A) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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, Chas. W. Stearns was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 175O-1A