(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165AN-3B, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,350 MS66 03-26-2014 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Fenton & Beck, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. 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. Fenton & Beck issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165AN-3B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, Fenton & Beck was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165AN-3B