(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165DQ-5A, OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J & D. Metz, operating in 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 10 cataloged varieties for J & D. Metz indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165DQ-5A) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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-5A