(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-930D-2a, OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by S.F. Snow, operating in West Unity, Ohio. 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, S.F. Snow produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 930D-2a) is common for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. 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. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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, S.F. Snow was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 930D-2a