(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BT-10B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of B. Hempelman in Cincinnati, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Cincinnati's position as a Union Army supply center and Ohio River trade hub made it a prolific source of Civil War tokens. John Stanton and other die sinkers based in the city produced dies for merchants across the Midwest. The 19 cataloged varieties for B. Hempelman indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165BT-10B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. 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. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 19 cataloged varieties, B. Hempelman was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BT-10B