(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-185A-1B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of P. Carle & Son, located in Collinsvil, Ohio. Ohio produced more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state, driven by Cincinnati's role as the largest inland city and a Union Army supply hub. P. Carle & Son issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This brass striking (Fuld 185A-1B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 8 cataloged varieties, P. Carle & Son was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 185A-1B