(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BJ-6B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Carl Haas, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165BJ-6B) is common to somewhat scarce. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 33 cataloged varieties, Carl Haas was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BJ-6B