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

Coin Details

Description

L. Schneider, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Cincinnati's position as a Union Army supply center and Ohio River trade hub made it a prolific source of Civil War tokens. John Stanton and other die sinkers based in the city produced dies for merchants across the Midwest. The 12 cataloged varieties for L. Schneider indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165FI-3A) is common. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes.

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 12 cataloged varieties, L. Schneider was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FI-3A