(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165EX-8A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Geo. W. Ritter's of Cincinnati issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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. This copper striking (Fuld 165EX-8A) is common among the known varieties. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. 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, Geo. W. Ritter's was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165EX-8A