(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-360A-5a, F.H. Hafer & Co. OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by F.H. Hafer & Co. of Greenville, Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. F.H. Hafer & Co. issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 360A-5a) is common among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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, F.H. Hafer & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 360A-5a