(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165FP-6A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from F. Sheen of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165FP-6A. 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-6A) is common. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation.

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-6A