(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165EX-1D, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Geo. W. Ritter's 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. With 3 known varieties, Geo. W. Ritter's produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 165EX-1D) is somewhat scarce. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. 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 3 cataloged varieties, Geo. W. Ritter's was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165EX-1D