(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-550A-1a, A. Cohen KS

Coin Details

Description

A. Cohen, a Leavenwrth merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Kansas had been "Bleeding Kansas" in the 1850s slavery debate and was strongly Unionist. Its smaller population produced fewer token varieties. With 2 known varieties, A. Cohen produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 550A-1a) is common among the known varieties. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 2 cataloged varieties, A. Cohen was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 550A-1a