1860 Token F-165GI-10a Copper PE Excelsior OH

Coin Details

Description

This copper Civil War store card, cataloged as Fuld 165GI-10a, bears the "Excelsior" name from Ohio. The Excelsior name was widely used by businesses across nineteenth-century America, derived from the Latin word meaning "ever upward" that also served as the state motto of New York. The Fuld catalog identifies this as die combination 165GI obverse with 10a reverse. Civil War store cards with generic business names like Excelsior present identification challenges, as multiple unrelated businesses in different states used the same name. The copper composition was the most common metal for Civil War tokens, with an estimated 25 million copper tokens produced between 1862 and 1864. This piece documents the commercial response to the federal coinage shortage that affected every northern state during the war years.

Rarity Notes

Copper, Fuld 165GI-10a. Ohio Civil War store card. Standard copper composition.

Cross References

Fuld 165GI-10a; PCGS #629430; Excelsior, Ohio