(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165EL-1A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from J.G. Pleisteiner of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165EL-1A. 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. J.G. Pleisteiner issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165EL-1A) is common for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 7 cataloged varieties, J.G. Pleisteiner was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EL-1A