(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-620B-5A, OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by G.M. Shaw, operating in New London, Ohio. 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-5A) is common. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 6 cataloged varieties, G.M. Shaw was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 620B-5A