(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165GA-4D, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Wm. Tell, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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. Wm. Tell issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 165GA-4D) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 7 cataloged varieties, Wm. Tell was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GA-4D