(1863) Zinc Civil War Store Card F-120B-2i, Ash & Black IN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,400 MS62 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War-era store card from Ash & Black, a Bowlinggrn, Indiana business. Indiana was an important agricultural and manufacturing state, with merchants producing store cards as emergency currency when federal coinage was hoarded. Ash & Black issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This zinc striking (Fuld 120B-2i) is scarce among the known varieties. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Zinc strikings are uncommon and prone to corrosion, making preserved examples desirable. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 7 cataloged varieties, Ash & Black was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 120B-2i