(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-880E-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of David Kelley, located in Troy, Ohio. Troy's industrial economy produced a substantial body of Civil War token issues, with local merchants advertising their services on these cent-sized pieces. David Kelley issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 880E-3A) is common for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. 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 5 cataloged varieties, David Kelley was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 880E-3A