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

Coin Details

Description

Jacob Knauber, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. Jacob Knauber issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 165CQ-2A) is common among the known varieties. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce.

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, Jacob Knauber was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165CQ-2A