(No Date) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-975A-1d, P.E. Beach OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from P.E. Beach of Ohio. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. P.E. Beach issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 975A-1d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 7 cataloged varieties, P.E. Beach was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 975A-1d