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

Coin Details

Description

H. Stalkamp, a Cincinnati merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Known as the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati served as a major Ohio River commercial hub. Its merchants produced hundreds of store card varieties during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. H. Stalkamp issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165FW-4A) is common for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 8 cataloged varieties, H. Stalkamp was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FW-4A