(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BJ-23A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165BJ-23A — store card of Carl Haas, 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. Carl Haas produced 33 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. This copper striking (Fuld 165BJ-23A) is common among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864.

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 33 cataloged varieties, Carl Haas was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BJ-23A