(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-5A-4C, OH

Coin Details

Description

Stoner & Shroyer, based in Adamsville, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime 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 40 cataloged die varieties, Stoner & Shroyer was one of the most prolific token issuers in the series. This nickel striking (Fuld 5A-4C) is scarce among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Nickel strikings are scarcer than copper or brass versions and have a distinctive silvery appearance.

Rarity Notes

Nickel strikings are generally scarcer than copper or brass versions, as nickel was more expensive and harder to strike. With 40 cataloged varieties, Stoner & Shroyer was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 5A-4C