(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AP-9A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$165 MS62 09-22-2016 Heritage Auctions

Description

Fuld 165AP-9A — store card of E. Fielder's, Cincinnati, Ohio. 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. The 13 cataloged varieties for E. Fielder's indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165AP-9A) is common. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 13 cataloged varieties, E. Fielder's was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AP-9A