(1862) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165DD-7a, Leavitt & Bevis OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$192 MS64BN 01-12-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Leavitt & Bevis, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. The 18 cataloged varieties for Leavitt & Bevis indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 165DD-7a) 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. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 18 cataloged varieties, Leavitt & Bevis was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DD-7a