(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-505B-6B, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$79 MS63 10-17-2018 Heritage Auctions

Description

Fuld 505B-6B — store card of F. Borr., Mansfield, 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. The 18 cataloged varieties for F. Borr. indicate a notable level of token production. This brass striking (Fuld 505B-6B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 18 cataloged varieties, F. Borr. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 505B-6B