(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-360A-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from F.H. Hafer & Co. of Greenville, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 360A-3A. 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. F.H. Hafer & Co. issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 360A-3A) is common for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 8 cataloged varieties, F.H. Hafer & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 360A-3A