(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AH-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Geo. R. Dixon & Co. of Cincinnati issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Cincinnati was the largest inland city in antebellum America and a critical supply center for the Union Army, driving Ohio to produce more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state. Geo. R. Dixon & Co. produced 20 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165AH-3A) is common for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern 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 20 cataloged varieties, Geo. R. Dixon & Co. was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AH-3A