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

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from J.T. Moore of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165DV-5A. 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 13 cataloged varieties for J.T. Moore indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 165DV-5A) is common among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes.

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 13 cataloged varieties, J.T. Moore was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DV-5A