(1861-65) Civil War Store Card F-165EC-2a, F.J. Niemer's OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165EC-2a — store card of F.J. Niemer's, Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati was the largest inland city in antebellum America and a critical supply center for the Union Army, driving Ohio to produce more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state. F.J. Niemer's issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165EC-2a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 6 cataloged varieties, F.J. Niemer's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EC-2a