(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-165FXa-6b, Steamer Lancaster OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$780 MS63 01-12-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Fuld 165FXa-6b — store card of Steamer Lancaster, Ohio. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. Steamer Lancaster issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This brass striking (Fuld 165FXa-6b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 9 cataloged varieties, Steamer Lancaster was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FXa-6b