(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150AD-1a, R. Heilbroner IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from R. Heilbroner of Illinois. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. With 2 known varieties, R. Heilbroner produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 150AD-1a) is common. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 2 cataloged varieties, R. Heilbroner was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150AD-1a