(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-770A-2B, OH

Coin Details

Description

B.L. Crew, based in Richmond, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. B.L. Crew issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 770A-2B) is common to somewhat scarce. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 6 cataloged varieties, B.L. Crew was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 770A-2B