(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-165GY-19b, John Zeltner OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$312 MS65 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of John Zeltner, located in 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. John Zeltner produced 39 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165GY-19b) is common to somewhat scarce. 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. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 39 cataloged varieties, John Zeltner was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GY-19b