(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165ES-2A, OH

Coin Details

Description

I. Rees, a Cincinnati merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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. With 3 known varieties, I. Rees produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165ES-2A) is common for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation.

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 3 cataloged varieties, I. Rees was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165ES-2A