(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-165EM-4b, Chas. Plumb OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Chas. Plumb, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. Cincinnati's position as a Union Army supply center and Ohio River trade hub made it a prolific source of Civil War tokens. John Stanton and other die sinkers based in the city produced dies for merchants across the Midwest. Chas. Plumb issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165EM-4b) is common to somewhat scarce. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 9 cataloged varieties, Chas. Plumb was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EM-4b