(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165CS-2B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of John Koch in Cincinnati, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. John Koch issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165CS-2B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern 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 6 cataloged varieties, John Koch was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165CS-2B