(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165GB-9A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from E. Townley of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165GB-9A. 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. The 16 cataloged varieties for E. Townley indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165GB-9A) is common. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864.

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 16 cataloged varieties, E. Townley was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GB-9A