(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AE-12B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Costello's, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. Costello's produced 20 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165AE-12B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 20 cataloged varieties, Costello's was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AE-12B