(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165GT-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from H. B. Xelar of Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165GT-4A. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. H. B. Xelar issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 165GT-4A) is common among the known varieties. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 5 cataloged varieties, H. B. Xelar was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GT-4A