(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BT-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from B. Hempelman of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165BT-4A. 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. The 19 cataloged varieties for B. Hempelman indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165BT-4A) is common for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 19 cataloged varieties, B. Hempelman was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BT-4A