(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165CJ-2a, Warren Kennedy OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$120 MS64BN 04-15-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Fuld 165CJ-2a — store card of Warren Kennedy, Cincinnati, Ohio. 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. Warren Kennedy issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165CJ-2a) is common for this merchant. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. 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 5 cataloged varieties, Warren Kennedy was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165CJ-2a