(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-165DX-1a, H.J. Moser OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of H.J. Moser in Cincinnati, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. With 2 known varieties, H.J. Moser produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165DX-1a) is common. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. 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 2 cataloged varieties, H.J. Moser was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165DX-1a