(1860-65) Zinc Civil War Store Card F-509A/510A, Plated John Bell

Coin Details

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 509A/510A, combining obverse die 509 — a portrait of John Bell, the 1860 Constitutional Union candidate — with reverse die 510 bearing a portrait of John Bell. Benjamin True of Cincinnati produced this political campaign series. True's workshop struck tokens for all political factions, making the series a unique numismatic record of the divided political landscape. Struck in zinc, an uncommon composition for Civil War tokens. Zinc pieces are prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. The absence of merchant information on this die combination places it in the Fuld catalog's Location Unknown section, among tokens produced as patriotic cent substitutes rather than as advertising pieces. Dated 1860-65, encompassing the primary period of Civil War token production.

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 1 cataloged varieties, Plated John Bell was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 509A/510A