(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BR-1A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165BR-1A — store card of E. Heinzmann, Ohio. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. With 2 known varieties, E. Heinzmann produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 165BR-1A) is common among the known varieties. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. 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. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 2 cataloged varieties, E. Heinzmann was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165BR-1A