(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165EU-1a, J.F. Resta OH

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 165EU-1a — store card of J.F. Resta, Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati was the largest inland city in antebellum America and a critical supply center for the Union Army, driving Ohio to produce more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state. The 12 cataloged varieties for J.F. Resta indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165EU-1a) is common. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 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 12 cataloged varieties, J.F. Resta was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165EU-1a