(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165CX-1D, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$528 MS63 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Jacob Krick, a Cincinnati merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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. With 3 known varieties, Jacob Krick produced a modest number of token types. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 165CX-1D) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Fuld 165CX-1D