(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165FO-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of H.E. Shaw 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. H.E. Shaw issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165FO-4A) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 5 cataloged varieties, H.E. Shaw was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FO-4A