(1862) Civil War Store Card F-165AO-1a, J. Ferguson OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$84 MS65 05-19-2015 Heritage Auctions

Description

Fuld 165AO-1a — store card of J. Ferguson, Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati's position as a Union Army supply center and Ohio River trade hub made it a prolific source of Civil War tokens. John Stanton and other die sinkers based in the city produced dies for merchants across the Midwest. The 12 cataloged varieties for J. Ferguson indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 165AO-1a) is common among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 12 cataloged varieties, J. Ferguson was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AO-1a