(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150B-1a, Barker & Illsley IL

Coin Details

Auction Record

$144 MS64RB 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War-era store card from Barker & Illsley 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, Barker & Illsley produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 150B-1a) is common. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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, Barker & Illsley was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150B-1a