(1862) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165GY-26a, John E. Zeltner OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$156 MS63BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from John Zeltner of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165GY-26a. 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. John Zeltner produced 39 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165GY-26a) is common for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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 39 cataloged varieties, John Zeltner was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GY-26a