(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AW-6I, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Chas. Flach of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165AW-6I. 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. The 13 cataloged varieties for Chas. Flach indicate a notable level of token production. This zinc striking (Fuld 165AW-6I) is scarce among the known varieties. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 13 cataloged varieties, Chas. Flach was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AW-6I