(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165FX-16B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from John Stanton, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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. With 47 cataloged die varieties, John Stanton was one of the most prolific token issuers in the series. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165FX-16B) is common to somewhat scarce. 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. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 47 cataloged varieties, John Stanton was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165FX-16B