(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BI-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Jacob Guth of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165BI-3A. 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 12 cataloged varieties for Jacob Guth indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165BI-3A) is common for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation.

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 12 cataloged varieties, Jacob Guth was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BI-3A