(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-415A-2d, John Chestnu's OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$7,200 MS64 09-02-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from John Chesnu's of Jackson, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 415A-2d. The breadth of Ohio's Civil War token production reflects the state's diverse economy, from Cincinnati's river trade to Cleveland's Lake Erie shipping to interior manufacturing towns. With 3 known varieties, John Chesnu's produced a modest number of token types. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 415A-2d) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 3 cataloged varieties, John Chesnu's was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 415A-2d