(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-74A-12A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of D.E. Stearns, located in Berea, 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. D.E. Stearns produced 24 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 74A-12A) is common. 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. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 24 cataloged varieties, D.E. Stearns was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 74A-12A