(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-230B-6D, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from J. Durst, a Dayton, Ohio business. Dayton was a prosperous manufacturing city known for its agricultural machinery and paper production. The 11 cataloged varieties for J. Durst indicate a notable level of token production. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 230B-6D) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 11 cataloged varieties, J. Durst was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 230B-6D