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

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Wm. Senour of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165FM-8A. 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 Wm. Senour indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165FM-8A) is common. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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, Wm. Senour was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FM-8A