(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165FY-2a, D.B.S. OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$156 MS62BN 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by D.B.S. Grocer, operating in 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. D.B.S. Grocer issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165FY-2a) 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. 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 7 cataloged varieties, D.B.S. Grocer was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FY-2a