(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-190A-3I, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Icenhour & Co of Columbiana, 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. Icenhour & Co issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This zinc striking (Fuld 190A-3I) is 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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 7 cataloged varieties, Icenhour & Co was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 190A-3I