(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-505B-7a, F.B. Orr OH

Coin Details

Description

F. Borr., a Mansfield merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. The 18 cataloged varieties for F. Borr. indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 505B-7a) is common. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 18 cataloged varieties, F. Borr. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 505B-7a