(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-115A-5a, A.C. Cochran OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$153 Genuine 02-21-2017 Heritage Auctions

Description

Merchant token from A.C. Cochran of Cambridge, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 115A-5a. 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. A.C. Cochran issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 115A-5a) is common. 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. 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

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-5a