(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-120B-2Bb, J.P. Fornshell OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$301 MS64 06-17-2024 eBay

Description

Merchant token from J.P. Fornshell of Camden, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 120B-2Bb. 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. With 4 known varieties, J.P. Fornshell produced a modest number of token types. This brass striking (Fuld 120B-2Bb) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. 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

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 4 cataloged varieties, J.P. Fornshell was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 120B-2Bb