(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-620A-6I, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from H.H. Robinson of New London, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 620A-6I. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. The 11 cataloged varieties for H.H. Robinson indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in zinc, this die combination (Fuld 620A-6I) is scarce. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 11 cataloged varieties, H.H. Robinson was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 620A-6I