(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-165AK-4b, R. Downing OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of R. Downing in Cincinnati, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. R. Downing issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165AK-4b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. 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 8 cataloged varieties, R. Downing was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AK-4b