(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165FX-9a, John Stanton OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS64BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Store card of John Stanton in Cincinnati, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Cincinnati was the largest inland city in antebellum America and a critical supply center for the Union Army, driving Ohio to produce more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state. With 47 cataloged die varieties, John Stanton was one of the most prolific token issuers in the series. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165FX-9a) is common. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 47 cataloged varieties, John Stanton was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165FX-9a