(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-855A-2B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from E.C. Saylor, a Tippecanoe, Ohio business. 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. With 4 known varieties, E.C. Saylor produced a modest number of token types. This brass striking (Fuld 855A-2B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 4 cataloged varieties, E.C. Saylor was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 855A-2B