(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165DB-3A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$65 MS64BN 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

S. Lasurs, a Cincinnati merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Known as the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati served as a major Ohio River commercial hub. Its merchants produced hundreds of store card varieties during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. With 3 known varieties, S. Lasurs produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165DB-3A) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 3 cataloged varieties, S. Lasurs was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 165DB-3A