(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-975B-1a, OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 975B-1a — store card of J.R. Bowman, Wooster, Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. The 10 cataloged varieties for J.R. Bowman indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 975B-1a) is common among the known varieties. 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. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 10 cataloged varieties, J.R. Bowman was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 975B-1a