(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-975B-3a, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$192 MS65BN 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J.R. Bowman, operating in Wooster, 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. The 10 cataloged varieties for J.R. Bowman indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 975B-3a) 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. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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-3a