(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165FP-2A, OH

Coin Details

Description

F. Sheen, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. The 16 cataloged varieties for F. Sheen indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165FP-2A) is common. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864.

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 16 cataloged varieties, F. Sheen was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FP-2A