(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165R-18B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Lew. Bowman, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165R-18B) is common to somewhat scarce. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. 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 54 cataloged varieties, Lew. Bowman was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165R-18B