(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165EL-5D, OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J.G. Pleisteiner, operating in Cincinnati, Ohio. 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. J.G. Pleisteiner issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 165EL-5D) is somewhat scarce 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. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 7 cataloged varieties, J.G. Pleisteiner was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EL-5D