(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-330D-1B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Emrich & Co., a Fremont, Ohio business. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. With 2 known varieties, Emrich & Co. produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 330D-1B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 2 cataloged varieties, Emrich & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 330D-1B