(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165FV-6A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$180 MS65BN 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War-era store card from Chas. Spreen, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. 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. The 11 cataloged varieties for Chas. Spreen indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 165FV-6A) is common among the known varieties. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 11 cataloged varieties, Chas. Spreen was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165FV-6A