(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AL-8A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,469 Details 08-02-2017 Heritage Auctions

Description

Merchant token from L. Eckert of Cincinnati, Ohio, cataloged as Fuld 165AL-8A. Cincinnati was the largest inland city in antebellum America and a critical supply center for the Union Army, driving Ohio to produce more varieties of Civil War store cards than any other state. L. Eckert issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 165AL-8A) is common among the known varieties. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 8 cataloged varieties, L. Eckert was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AL-8A