(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BA-2B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of John Galvagni, located in 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. John Galvagni issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This brass striking (Fuld 165BA-2B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 9 cataloged varieties, John Galvagni was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BA-2B