(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-200D-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of S.T. Martin in Columbus, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. As Ohio's capital, Columbus saw enormous wartime military activity, and its merchants issued tokens to facilitate commerce amid the acute coin shortage. S.T. Martin issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 200D-3A) 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. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 9 cataloged varieties, S.T. Martin was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 200D-3A