(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165GN-1B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165GN-1B — store card of Wine Steiner, Cincinnati, Ohio. 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 10 cataloged varieties for Wine Steiner indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165GN-1B) is common to somewhat scarce. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 10 cataloged varieties, Wine Steiner was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GN-1B