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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from O'Reilly Bros., a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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 12 cataloged varieties for O'Reilly Bros. indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 165EH-4A) is common among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical 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 12 cataloged varieties, O'Reilly Bros. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EH-4A