(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-132A/149a, Lincoln-Johnson

Coin Details

Auction Record

$216 XF45BN 03-31-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 132A/149a, combining obverse die 132 — a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln — with reverse die 149 bearing a Lincoln-Johnson campaign pairing. The Lincoln-Johnson ticket won the 1864 election on the National Union platform. Abraham Lincoln obverse dies are among the most valuable in the Civil War token series. Lincoln tokens command significant premiums for their combined political, historical, and numismatic significance. Copper was preferred for token production because its properties matched the federal cent specification closely enough that these pieces passed freely in commerce during 1862-1864. This token lacks the merchant identification found on most Civil War store cards. Its placement in the Fuld Location Unknown section reflects the purely patriotic or political nature of its die combination. Produced in 1864, the twilight of the Civil War token era. By year's end, new federal bronze cents and fractional currency had largely replaced private tokens in commerce.

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 1 cataloged varieties, Lincoln-Johnson was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 132A/149a