(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-175L-1a, T.J. Quinlan OH

Coin Details

Description

T.J. Quinlan, a Cleveland merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Cleveland's position on Lake Erie made it a vital shipping hub for wartime goods, and its merchants participated actively in the Civil War token phenomenon. With 4 known varieties, T.J. Quinlan produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 175L-1a) is common among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 4 cataloged varieties, T.J. Quinlan was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 175L-1a