(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165DP-6B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Adam Metz, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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 15 cataloged varieties for Adam Metz indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165DP-6B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. 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. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 15 cataloged varieties, Adam Metz was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DP-6B