(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-165AX-2b, James Foster Jr. & Co. OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,115 MS68 01-06-2016 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War store card issued by James Foster Jr. & Co. of 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. James Foster Jr. & Co. issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 165AX-2b) is common to somewhat scarce. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 5 cataloged varieties, James Foster Jr. & Co. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AX-2b