(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-750P-5c, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 750P-5c. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. This nickel striking (Fuld 750P-5c) is scarce among the known varieties. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Nickel tokens were produced in smaller quantities than the standard copper issues. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Nickel strikings are generally scarcer than copper or brass versions, as nickel was more expensive and harder to strike. With 5 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 750P-5c