(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165B-1a, W. Alenburg OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from (W. Alenburg) of Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165B-1a. 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. With 3 known varieties, (W. Alenburg) produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165B-1a) is common. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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 3 cataloged varieties, (W. Alenburg) was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165B-1a