(1862) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165DJ-16a, Marsh & Miner OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Marsh & Miner of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165DJ-16a. 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. Marsh & Miner produced 35 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. This copper striking (Fuld 165DJ-16a) is common among the known varieties. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. 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

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 35 cataloged varieties, Marsh & Miner was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DJ-16a