(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-165BV-14d, V. Heyl OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165BV-14d — store card of V. Heyl, Cincinnati, Ohio. Known as the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati served as a major Ohio River commercial hub. Its merchants produced hundreds of store card varieties during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. V. Heyl produced 23 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 165BV-14d) is somewhat scarce. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. 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-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 23 cataloged varieties, V. Heyl was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BV-14d