(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165EC-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from F.J. Niemer's, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. Known as the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati served as a major Ohio River commercial hub. Its merchants produced hundreds of store card varieties during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. F.J. Niemer's issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165EC-4A) is common for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 6 cataloged varieties, F.J. Niemer's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EC-4A