(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165GA-2A, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$288 MS66BN 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Wm. Tell, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime 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. Wm. Tell issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 165GA-2A) is common. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from 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 7 cataloged varieties, Wm. Tell was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165GA-2A