(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-730A-6A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$120 MS61BN 06-12-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War-era store card from Drs. Brown & Dills, a Piqua, 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. Drs. Brown & Dills issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 730A-6A) is common. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 9 cataloged varieties, Drs. Brown & Dills was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 730A-6A