(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165GE-3a, Jacob Vogel OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$216 MS62BN 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Jacob Vogel of Cincinnati issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War 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. Jacob Vogel issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165GE-3a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. 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 9 cataloged varieties, Jacob Vogel was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GE-3a