(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165DA-1I, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165DA-1I. 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. Struck in zinc, this die combination (Fuld 165DA-1I) is scarce. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 4 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165DA-1I