(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165DD-9B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165DD-9B — store card of Leavitt & Bevis, Cincinnati, Ohio. 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 18 cataloged varieties for Leavitt & Bevis indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165DD-9B) is common to somewhat scarce. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. 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. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 18 cataloged varieties, Leavitt & Bevis was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DD-9B