(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165DD-4a, Leavitt & Bevis OH

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Leavitt & Bevis, 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. The 18 cataloged varieties for Leavitt & Bevis indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165DD-4a) is common for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 18 cataloged varieties, Leavitt & Bevis was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DD-4a