(1861-65) Silver Civil War Store Card F-165BZ-1f, J.A. Hughes OH

Coin Details

Description

J.A. Hughes of Cincinnati issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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. J.A. Hughes issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in silver, this die combination (Fuld 165BZ-1f) is rare. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced as presentation or collector pieces. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 6 cataloged varieties, J.A. Hughes was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BZ-1f