(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165N-23A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Dr. Bennett's of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165N-23A. 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. Dr. Bennett's produced 36 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. This copper striking (Fuld 165N-23A) is common among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. 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 36 cataloged varieties, Dr. Bennett's was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165N-23A