(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165EQ-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165EQ-3A — store card of H.A. Ratterman, Cincinnati, Ohio. 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. The 15 cataloged varieties for H.A. Ratterman indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165EQ-3A) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. 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. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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 15 cataloged varieties, H.A. Ratterman was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EQ-3A