(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AA-4D, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$432 MS62 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Commission Boots & Shoes of Ohio issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. 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. Commission Boots & Shoes issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 165AA-4D) is somewhat scarce. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 9 cataloged varieties, Commission Boots & Shoes was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AA-4D