(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165AL-4a, L. Eckert OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$8,225 MS62BN 08-02-2017 Heritage Auctions

Description

L. Eckert, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. L. Eckert issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165AL-4a) is common. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. 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 8 cataloged varieties, L. Eckert was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AL-4a