(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-165FH-9d, H. Schmidt's OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from H. Schmidt's, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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 H. Schmidt's indicate a notable level of token production. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 165FH-9d) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 11 cataloged varieties, H. Schmidt's was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FH-9d