(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-975B-6a, OH

Coin Details

Description

J.R. Bowman of Wooster 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. The 10 cataloged varieties for J.R. Bowman indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 975B-6a) is common for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. 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 10 cataloged varieties, J.R. Bowman was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 975B-6a