(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165GE-5A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Jacob Vogel of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165GE-5A. 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. Jacob Vogel issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165GE-5A) is common for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation.

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 9 cataloged varieties, Jacob Vogel was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GE-5A