(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165T-5A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from J. Campbell of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165T-5A. 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. The 10 cataloged varieties for J. Campbell indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165T-5A) is common for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. 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 10 cataloged varieties, J. Campbell was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165T-5A