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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by W.W. Hanley of Cincinnati, Ohio. 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. W.W. Hanley issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The zinc composition of this variety (Fuld 165BL-4I) is scarce for this merchant. 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. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 8 cataloged varieties, W.W. Hanley was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BL-4I