(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165P-1A, OH

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Frank Beresford in Cincinnati, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. The 16 cataloged varieties for Frank Beresford indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 165P-1A) is common for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. 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.

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 16 cataloged varieties, Frank Beresford was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165P-1A