(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-975J-2a, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Nold & Co., located in 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. With 2 known varieties, Nold & Co. produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 975J-2a) is common. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 2 cataloged varieties, Nold & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 975J-2a