(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165Y-1B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of C.E. Clark's, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati's position as a Union Army supply center and Ohio River trade hub made it a prolific source of Civil War tokens. John Stanton and other die sinkers based in the city produced dies for merchants across the Midwest. The 11 cataloged varieties for C.E. Clark's indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165Y-1B) is common to somewhat scarce 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. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. 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 11 cataloged varieties, C.E. Clark's was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165Y-1B