(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-880F-6A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Pearson & Bro. of Troy, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 880F-6A. Troy was a manufacturing center on the Hudson River known for its iron and steel production, including horseshoe and railroad spike industries. Pearson & Bro. issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 880F-6A) is common. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 7 cataloged varieties, Pearson & Bro. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 880F-6A