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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by F.H. Hafer & Co. of Greenville, Ohio. 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. F.H. Hafer & Co. issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The zinc composition of this variety (Fuld 360A-3I) is scarce for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Zinc strikings are uncommon and prone to corrosion, making preserved examples desirable.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 8 cataloged varieties, F.H. Hafer & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 360A-3I