(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-138A/150ao, McClellan-Johnson

Coin Details

Auction Record

$600 AU50BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 138A/150ao, combining obverse die 138 — a uniformed bust of Major General George B. McClellan — with reverse die 150 bearing a portrait of General George B. McClellan. McClellan obverse dies captured the popular but cautious Army of the Potomac commander. These gained additional significance when McClellan challenged Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election. The copper composition ensured this token closely matched the weight, size, and color of federal Indian Head cents, facilitating acceptance in daily transactions. No merchant name or location appears on this die combination. The Fuld catalog assigns such tokens to the Location Unknown section, recognizing them as patriotic issues rather than merchant-sponsored currency. Dated 1861-65, encompassing the primary period of Civil War token production.

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. Overstrike varieties are generally scarcer than tokens struck on blank planchets, as they required sourcing and re-striking existing coins. With 1 cataloged varieties, McClellan-Johnson was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 138A/150ao