(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-200B-3a, Heintz & Henkle OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Heintz & Henkle, located in Columbus, Ohio. As Ohio's capital, Columbus saw enormous wartime military activity, and its merchants issued tokens to facilitate commerce amid the acute coin shortage. Heintz & Henkle issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 200B-3a) is common for this merchant. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Die sinkers in major cities competed fiercely for merchant orders, offering stock reverses that could be paired with custom obverse dies featuring the merchant's name and business information. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 5 cataloged varieties, Heintz & Henkle was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 200B-3a