(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-160H-5A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of T. Rupel & Co, located in Chillicoth, Ohio. Ohio produced more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state, driven by Cincinnati's role as the largest inland city and a Union Army supply hub. T. Rupel & Co issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 160H-5A) is common among the known varieties. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 5 cataloged varieties, T. Rupel & Co was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 160H-5A