(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-570A-1a, Gage. Lyall & Keller IA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$960 AU50BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Gage. Lyall & Keller of Iowa produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Iowa contributed disproportionately to the war effort relative to its population, with merchants issuing tokens in small numbers reflecting its less urbanized economy. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 570A-1a) is common for this merchant. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. 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 Civil War token series provides one of the most comprehensive records of mid-nineteenth century American retail commerce, documenting businesses that left few other historical traces. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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 1 cataloged varieties, Gage. Lyall & Keller was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 570A-1a