(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BJ-7D, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Carl Haas of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165BJ-7D. 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. Carl Haas produced 33 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 165BJ-7D) is somewhat scarce. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. 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. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 33 cataloged varieties, Carl Haas was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BJ-7D