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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of E. Townley, located in 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. The 16 cataloged varieties for E. Townley indicate a notable level of token production. This brass striking (Fuld 165GB-9B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 16 cataloged varieties, E. Townley was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GB-9B