(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165R-4B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Lew. Bowman of Cincinnati issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Cincinnati was the largest inland city in antebellum America and a critical supply center for the Union Army, driving Ohio to produce more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state. With 54 cataloged die varieties, Lew. Bowman was one of the most prolific token issuers in the series. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165R-4B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

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-4B