(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-620B-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from G.M. Shaw, a New London, Ohio business. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. G.M. Shaw issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 620B-3A) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 6 cataloged varieties, G.M. Shaw was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 620B-3A