The E-Sylum:  Volume 6, Number 6, February 9, 2003, Article 12

WAR CENTS: AN 1886 PERSPECTIVE

  Jess Gaylor added: "In the same issue ("The American
  Numismatist", Vol. I, No. 1.  Paterson, NJ, September,
  1886) is the following article, written by its editor C. E. Leal:

  War Cents

  Small change became so scarce in 1862 that store-keepers
  and other persons began to issue this private currency to supply
  the deficiency; and they continued to coin them in immense
  quantities  until 1864, when the Government, to protect itself,
  was compelled to prohibit their further coinage or circulation.
  The first coinage of War Cents, or Tokens, or Store Cards, as
  they were sometimes called, took place in Cincinnati where
  nearly 900 varieties were issued, fully three times as many
  varieties as any other city issued except New York.  A number
  of other Western cities soon followed the example of Cincinnati,
  but it was not until the early part of 1863 that New York began
  to issue the famous Lindenmuller cents, of which there were
  more than a million coined; these were followed by the
  Knickerbocker tokens, consisting of many varieties.  Altogether
  there were between 600 and 700 varieties issued from New
  York City.  Ohio issued about 1300 varieties from 100 different
  cities and towns, more than any other state issued; New York
  State comes next after Ohio, with over 900 varieties.

  When the Government stopped the coinage of these tokens
  there were upward of 20,000,000 of them in circulation, but
  there are in all probability not more than 1,000,000 in existence
  at the present time.  In my estimation War Cents comprise one
  of the principal branches in Numismatics, and should occupy
  a prominent place in the cabinet of every American collector.
  It is impossible now to obtain a complete collection for any
  sum of money; but $25 or $30 should buy a very good
  collection for an amateur.

  (An so dear readers, even if the Hetrichs and the Guttags and
  the Fulds had not come upon the scene, just look at the wealth
  of information we would still have concerning Civil War
  Tokens)"

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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