(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-535D-2A, OH

Coin Details

Description

H. Knobloch of Massillon issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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. With 4 known varieties, H. Knobloch produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 535D-2A) is common among the known varieties. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 4 cataloged varieties, H. Knobloch was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 535D-2A