(No Date) Silver Civil War Store Card F-510O-1fo, A. Weber KY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$4,800 MS64 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

Fuld 510O-1fo — store card of A. Weber, Kentucky. Kentucky was a critical border state maintaining Union loyalty while deeply divided. Louisville served as a major supply depot and source of merchant tokens. This piece is an overstrike struck over a host coin, an 1863 Indian Head cent. Traces of the original design may be visible beneath the new impressions. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The silver composition indicates a piece produced outside the normal commercial run, as a numismatic item.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. Overstrike varieties are generally scarcer than tokens struck on blank planchets, as they required sourcing and re-striking existing coins. With 1 cataloged varieties, A. Weber was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510O-1fo