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

Coin Details

Description

Store card of A. Ricke in Cincinnati, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. A. Ricke produced 23 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165EV-3A) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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 23 cataloged varieties, A. Ricke was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EV-3A