(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-815B-1a, Jason McVay OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$365 MS64BN 02-27-2023 eBay

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Jason McVay in Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 815B-1a) is common. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. 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 1 cataloged varieties, Jason McVay was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 815B-1a