(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-340A-1a, D&W Riblet OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$228 MS65BN 03-05-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War-era store card from D&W Riblet of 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 3 known varieties, D&W Riblet produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 340A-1a) is common. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. 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. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 3 cataloged varieties, D&W Riblet was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 340A-1a