(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-725B-1G, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from D. Kreps of Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. With 3 known varieties, D. Kreps produced a modest number of token types. The gold composition of this variety (Fuld 725B-1G) is extremely rare for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Gold pieces were struck as special presentation items and are almost never encountered.

Rarity Notes

Gold strikings of Civil War tokens are among the rarest of all metal variants, produced in tiny quantities for presentation purposes or the collector market. With 3 cataloged varieties, D. Kreps was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 725B-1G