(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165FF-4B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Chr. Schloendorn 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. Chr. Schloendorn issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165FF-4B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 8 cataloged varieties, Chr. Schloendorn was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FF-4B