(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-310A-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

E.L. Lemert, a Frazeyburg merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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. E.L. Lemert issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 310A-3A) is common among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 5 cataloged varieties, E.L. Lemert was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 310A-3A