(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165GA-3B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Wm. Tell of Cincinnati, Ohio. 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. Wm. Tell issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165GA-3B) is common to somewhat scarce. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, Wm. Tell was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GA-3B