(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-905A-2A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Davis & Whiteman of Wapakoneta issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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, Davis & Whiteman produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 905A-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. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864.

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 4 cataloged varieties, Davis & Whiteman was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 905A-2A