(1861-65) Civil War Store Card F-165FXa-2a, Steamer Lancaster OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$960 MS64BN 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Steamer Lancaster of Ohio produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Steamer Lancaster issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165FXa-2a) is common for this merchant. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 9 cataloged varieties, Steamer Lancaster was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FXa-2a