(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165GC-8A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Van. Wunder, 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. The 18 cataloged varieties for Van. Wunder indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165GC-8A) is common for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes.

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 18 cataloged varieties, Van. Wunder was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GC-8A