(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-860A-2A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 860A-2A — store card of C.P. Curtis, Toledo, Ohio. Toledo was a growing Lake Erie port city and railroad hub, handling grain and lumber shipments that fueled the Northern war economy. C.P. Curtis issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 860A-2A) is common for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 6 cataloged varieties, C.P. Curtis was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 860A-2A