(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-165DY-13b, Jas. Murdock, Jr. OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Jas. Murdock, Jr. of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165DY-13b. Known as the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati served as a major Ohio River commercial hub. Its merchants produced hundreds of store card varieties during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Jas. Murdock, Jr. produced 20 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. This brass striking (Fuld 165DY-13b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 20 cataloged varieties, Jas. Murdock, Jr. was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DY-13b