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

Coin Details

Description

J & D. Metz of Cincinnati issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Cincinnati's position as a Union Army supply center and Ohio River trade hub made it a prolific source of Civil War tokens. John Stanton and other die sinkers based in the city produced dies for merchants across the Midwest. The 10 cataloged varieties for J & D. Metz indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165DQ-2A) is common. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels.

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 10 cataloged varieties, J & D. Metz was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DQ-2A