(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BL-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

W.W. Hanley of Cincinnati issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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. W.W. Hanley issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165BL-4A) is common for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. 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 8 cataloged varieties, W.W. Hanley was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BL-4A