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

Coin Details

Description

C. Sutton's, a Cincinnati merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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. C. Sutton's issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165FZ-4A) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. 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, C. Sutton's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FZ-4A