(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-550A-1B, KS

Coin Details

Description

A. Cohen of Leavenwrth issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Kansas had been "Bleeding Kansas" in the 1850s slavery debate and was strongly Unionist. Its smaller population produced fewer token varieties. With 2 known varieties, A. Cohen produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 550A-1B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 2 cataloged varieties, A. Cohen was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 550A-1B