(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-100B-2a, E.G. Selby & Co. OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of E.G. Selbys in Bryan, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Ohio produced more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state, driven by Cincinnati's role as the largest inland city and a Union Army supply hub. E.G. Selbys issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 100B-2a) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 8 cataloged varieties, E.G. Selbys was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 100B-2a