(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165GT-1a, H. B. Xelar OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$367 MS64BN 09-12-2023 eBay

Description

Fuld 165GT-1a — store card of H. B. Xelar, Ohio. Ohio produced more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state, driven by Cincinnati's role as the largest inland city and a Union Army supply hub. H. B. Xelar issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165GT-1a) is common. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Some token dies were used so extensively that late strikes show significant die wear, providing collectors with a chronological sequence of the production run from fresh to deteriorated states. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 5 cataloged varieties, H. B. Xelar was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GT-1a