(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-860A-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of C.P. Curtis in Toledo, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. This copper striking (Fuld 860A-3A) is common among the known varieties. 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. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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-3A