(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-560A-3A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$600 AU55BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from R.G. Martin of Monroevill, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 560A-3A. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. R.G. Martin issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 560A-3A) is common for this merchant. 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. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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-3A