(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BL-5A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of W.W. Hanley, located in 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. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165BL-5A) is common. 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. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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-5A