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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of P. Carle & Son, located in Collinsvil, Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. P. Carle & Son issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This zinc striking (Fuld 185A-4I) is scarce among the known varieties. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 8 cataloged varieties, P. Carle & Son was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 185A-4I