(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165FZ-2A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from C. Sutton's, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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. C. Sutton's issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165FZ-2A) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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, C. Sutton's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FZ-2A