(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165GU-3A, OH

Coin Details

Description

S.Y., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. S.Y. issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 165GU-3A) is common among the known varieties. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. 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 8 cataloged varieties, S.Y. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GU-3A