(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-750K-1e, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 750K-1e. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Struck in white metal, this die combination (Fuld 750K-1e) is somewhat scarce. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. White metal (a tin-based alloy) pieces are scarcer than copper and often show significant wear from their soft composition. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

White metal (tin alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and tend to show more wear due to the softness of the alloy. With 2 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 750K-1e