(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165DQ-3a, J & D. Metz OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$120 AU53BN 11-09-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Fuld 165DQ-3a — store card of J & D. Metz, 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. The 10 cataloged varieties for J & D. Metz indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165DQ-3a) 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 10 cataloged varieties, J & D. Metz was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DQ-3a