(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-165CS-3d, John Koch OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$600 MS66 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Fuld 165CS-3d — store card of John Koch, Cincinnati, Ohio. Known as the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati served as a major Ohio River commercial hub. Its merchants produced hundreds of store card varieties during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. John Koch issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 165CS-3d) is somewhat scarce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 6 cataloged varieties, John Koch was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165CS-3d