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

Coin Details

Description

D.W. Krebs & Co. of Fremont issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. With 3 known varieties, D.W. Krebs & Co. produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 330F-1A) is common. 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. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 3 cataloged varieties, D.W. Krebs & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 330F-1A