(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-535A-8A, OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by P.G. Albright, operating in Massillon, 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 12 cataloged varieties for P.G. Albright indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 535A-8A) is common for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 12 cataloged varieties, P.G. Albright was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 535A-8A