(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-168A-4a, G.H. Fickardt & Co. OH

Coin Details

Description

G.H. Fickardt & Co. of Circlevill issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Ohio produced more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state, driven by Cincinnati's role as the largest inland city and a Union Army supply hub. G.H. Fickardt & Co. issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 168A-4a) is common for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 6 cataloged varieties, G.H. Fickardt & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 168A-4a