(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BD-2A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Ni W. Gentsch, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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. Ni W. Gentsch issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165BD-2A) is common. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. 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 8 cataloged varieties, Ni W. Gentsch was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BD-2A