(1863) Civil War Store Card F-165GL-2aCopper, A.B. Wlison OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$32 VF35BN 05-30-2023 eBay

Description

A.B. Wlison of Cincinnati issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War 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 17 cataloged varieties for A.B. Wlison indicate a notable level of token production. This piece is an overstrike struck over a host coin, an 1863 Indian Head cent. Traces of the original design may be visible beneath the new impressions. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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. Overstrike varieties are generally scarcer than tokens struck on blank planchets, as they required sourcing and re-striking existing coins. With 17 cataloged varieties, A.B. Wlison was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GL-2aCopper