(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-560A-2A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$100 MS62BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Fuld 560A-2A — store card of R.G. Martin, Monroevill, Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. R.G. Martin issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 560A-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. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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 8 cataloged varieties, R.G. Martin was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 560A-2A