(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BS-3B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from J. Helmig of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165BS-3B. 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. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165BS-3B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, J. Helmig was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BS-3B