(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165BW-5A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Dr. H.H. Hill & Co. 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. Dr. H.H. Hill & Co. issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165BW-5A) is common. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage.

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 9 cataloged varieties, Dr. H.H. Hill & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BW-5A