(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165EN-3B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Pogue & Jones, 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. Pogue & Jones issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165EN-3B) is common to somewhat scarce. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 9 cataloged varieties, Pogue & Jones was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EN-3B