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

Coin Details

Auction Record

$408 MS63 04-12-2023 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. Lincoln obverse dies are prized for their direct connection to the wartime president. These tokens served as both emergency currency and portable political endorsements of the Union cause. 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. Location Unknown tokens like this one feature dies with patriotic or political designs but no merchant or geographic identification, suggesting speculative production by die sinkers. Dated 1864, the final year of Civil War token production before Congress banned private coinage in April.

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