(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-65B-3D, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from P. Brady of Bellevue, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 65B-3D. 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. The 11 cataloged varieties for P. Brady indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 65B-3D) is somewhat scarce. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 11 cataloged varieties, P. Brady was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 65B-3D