(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-995J-1a, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of C.W. Potwin & Co. in Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. C.W. Potwin & Co. issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 995J-1a) 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. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. 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 6 cataloged varieties, C.W. Potwin & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 995J-1a