(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-185A-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 185A-4A — store card of P. Carle & Son, Collinsvil, 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. P. Carle & Son issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 185A-4A) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. 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, P. Carle & Son was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 185A-4A