(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-925A-1A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$228 MS64BN 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War store card issued by C.M. Coffin of West Newton, Ohio. Ohio produced more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state, driven by Cincinnati's role as the largest inland city and a Union Army supply hub. C.M. Coffin issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 925A-1A) is common. 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. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. 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, C.M. Coffin was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 925A-1A