(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AH-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Geo. R. Dixon & Co., a Cincinnati merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 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. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165AH-4A) is common. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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-4A