(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165FXa-11a, Stockman & Co. OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$960 MS63BN 12-13-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Steamer Lancaster of Ohio produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Ohio produced more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state, driven by Cincinnati's role as the largest inland city and a Union Army supply hub. Steamer Lancaster issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165FXa-11a) is common for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. 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 9 cataloged varieties, Steamer Lancaster was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FXa-11a