(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-60B-2a, J.S. Bonbright OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS63BN 04-15-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of J.S. Bonbright, located in Bellaire, Ohio. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. With 2 known varieties, J.S. Bonbright produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 60B-2a) is common. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. 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 2 cataloged varieties, J.S. Bonbright was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 60B-2a