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

Coin Details

Description

Hoot & Meng of Ohio 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. With 3 known varieties, Hoot & Meng produced a modest number of token types. This brass striking (Fuld 330E-1B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 3 cataloged varieties, Hoot & Meng was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 330E-1B