(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AE-3B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Costello's in Cincinnati, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. Costello's produced 20 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. This brass striking (Fuld 165AE-3B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

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-3B