(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165BV-14a, Farmers Hotel OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$312 MS65BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

V. Heyl, 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. V. Heyl produced 23 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165BV-14a) is common. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 23 cataloged varieties, V. Heyl was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165BV-14a