(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AH-7A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Geo. R. Dixon & Co., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime 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-7A) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation.

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-7A