(1863) Zinc Civil War Store Card F-165AJ-4, Garret T. Dorland OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$288 MS62 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

G. T. Dorland, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Cincinnati was the largest inland city in antebellum America and a critical supply center for the Union Army, driving Ohio to produce more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state. The 12 cataloged varieties for G. T. Dorland indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in zinc, this die combination (Fuld 165AJ-4) is scarce. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 12 cataloged varieties, G. T. Dorland was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AJ-4