(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-830A-3A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$156 MS64BN 04-08-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War store card issued by W.G. Brain of Springfld, Ohio. 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 W.G. Brain indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 830A-3A) is common. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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, W.G. Brain was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 830A-3A