(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-115A-1a, A.C. Cochran OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS64 11-07-2017 Heritage Auctions

Description

A.C. Cochran, based in Cambridge, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. A.C. Cochran issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 115A-1a) is common. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 7 cataloged varieties, A.C. Cochran was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 115A-1a