(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-745B-3I, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from S.W. Cunning of Portsmouth, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 745B-3I. 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 zinc composition of this variety (Fuld 745B-3I) is scarce for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 9 cataloged varieties, S.W. Cunning was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 745B-3I