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

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from John Stanton of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165FX-16I. 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. With 47 cataloged die varieties, John Stanton was one of the most prolific token issuers in the series. The zinc composition of this variety (Fuld 165FX-16I) is scarce 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. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Zinc strikings are uncommon and prone to corrosion, making preserved examples desirable.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 47 cataloged varieties, John Stanton was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165FX-16I