(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AX-3B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165AX-3B — store card of James Foster Jr. & Co., 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. James Foster Jr. & Co. issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165AX-3B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. 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. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 5 cataloged varieties, James Foster Jr. & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AX-3B