(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-509A/510Ab, John Bell

Coin Details

Auction Record

$960 MS62 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 509A/510Ab, 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 brass, a copper-zinc alloy that gave the token a golden appearance while maintaining similar size and weight to copper pieces. The Fuld catalog's Location Unknown section encompasses die combinations that bear no identifiable merchant attribution. These tokens circulated on the strength of their patriotic designs alone. Dated 1861-65, 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, John Bell was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 509A/510Ab