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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165FA-1D. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 165FA-1D) is somewhat scarce. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 8 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FA-1D