(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165P-7I, OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$734 MS64 06-04-2014 Heritage Auctions

Description

Store card of Frank Beresford in Cincinnati, Ohio, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. The 16 cataloged varieties for Frank Beresford indicate a notable level of token production. This zinc striking (Fuld 165P-7I) is scarce among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Zinc strikings are uncommon and prone to corrosion, making preserved examples desirable.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 16 cataloged varieties, Frank Beresford was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165P-7I