(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165A-6a, M. Adleta OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from M. Adleta of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165A-6a. 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. The 11 cataloged varieties for M. Adleta indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165A-6a) is common for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. 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 11 cataloged varieties, M. Adleta was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165A-6a