(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165AF-1a, Crittenden OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$288 AU58BN 04-15-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Crittenden, operating in Cincinnati, Ohio. Known as the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati served as a major Ohio River commercial hub. Its merchants produced hundreds of store card varieties during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165AF-1a) is common for this merchant. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 1 cataloged varieties, Crittenden was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165AF-1a