(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-695A-3A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$156 MS61BN 03-31-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J.F. Seas, operating in Orville, Ohio. 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. J.F. Seas issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 695A-3A) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. 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 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 7 cataloged varieties, J.F. Seas was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 695A-3A