(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-745B-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by S.W. Cunning, operating in Portsmouth, Ohio. 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. S.W. Cunning issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 745B-4A) is common 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. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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-4A