(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165GL-12a, A.B. Wilson OH

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from A.B. Wlison of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165GL-12a. 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 17 cataloged varieties for A.B. Wlison indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165GL-12a) is common. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 17 cataloged varieties, A.B. Wlison was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GL-12a