(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-745B-2A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of S.W. Cunning, located in Portsmouth, Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. S.W. Cunning issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 745B-2A) 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. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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, S.W. Cunning was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 745B-2A