(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BI-7B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Jacob Guth, a Cincinnati merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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 brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165BI-7B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. 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 12 cataloged varieties, Jacob Guth was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BI-7B