(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165R-14A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Lew. Bowman of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165R-14A. Known as the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati served as a major Ohio River commercial hub. Its merchants produced hundreds of store card varieties during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. With 54 cataloged die varieties, Lew. Bowman was one of the most prolific token issuers in the series. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165R-14A) is common for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical 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 54 cataloged varieties, Lew. Bowman was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165R-14A