(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-190B-1A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from G. Kipp, a Columbiana, Ohio business. 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. G. Kipp issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 190B-1A) is common for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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, G. Kipp was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 190B-1A