(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165FS-9D, OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J. Smith's, operating in Cincinnati, Ohio. 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 11 cataloged varieties for J. Smith's indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 165FS-9D) is somewhat scarce. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 11 cataloged varieties, J. Smith's was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FS-9D