(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-735B-6A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$216 MS62BN 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War store card from Pomeroy, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 735B-6A. 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 copper composition of this variety (Fuld 735B-6A) is common for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 10 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 735B-6A