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

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165BD-3B — store card of Ni W. Gentsch, Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati's position as a Union Army supply center and Ohio River trade hub made it a prolific source of Civil War tokens. John Stanton and other die sinkers based in the city produced dies for merchants across the Midwest. Ni W. Gentsch issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165BD-3B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 8 cataloged varieties, Ni W. Gentsch was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BD-3B