(1862) Zinc Civil War Store Card F-165BM-4i, Harpel OH

Coin Details

Description

Harpel of Cincinnati issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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. Harpel issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This zinc striking (Fuld 165BM-4i) is scarce among the known varieties. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce. 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

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 8 cataloged varieties, Harpel was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BM-4i