(1863) Zinc Civil War Store Card F-165AE-12i, Costello's OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Costello's, operating in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati's position as a Union Army supply center and Ohio River trade hub made it a prolific source of Civil War tokens. John Stanton and other die sinkers based in the city produced dies for merchants across the Midwest. Costello's produced 20 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. Struck in zinc, this die combination (Fuld 165AE-12i) is scarce. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 20 cataloged varieties, Costello's was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AE-12i