(1861-65) Civil War Store Card F-775A-2a, W.B. Castle IL

Coin Details

Auction Record

$132 MS62BN 09-02-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

W.B. Castle of Illinois produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. With 3 known varieties, W.B. Castle produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 775A-2a) is common for this merchant. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 3 cataloged varieties, W.B. Castle was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 775A-2a