(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-805A-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Cummins & Anderson, a Shelby, Ohio business. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. The 14 cataloged varieties for Cummins & Anderson indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 805A-4A) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 14 cataloged varieties, Cummins & Anderson was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 805A-4A