(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165V-4A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Ni Chamberlain Bros. of Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165V-4A. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. Ni Chamberlain Bros. issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 165V-4A) 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. 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. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 8 cataloged varieties, Ni Chamberlain Bros. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165V-4A