(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BS-2A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$85 MS64BN 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from J. Helmig of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165BS-2A. Known as the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati served as a major Ohio River commercial hub. Its merchants produced hundreds of store card varieties during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. J. Helmig issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165BS-2A) is common. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 7 cataloged varieties, J. Helmig was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BS-2A