(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-95B-1a, D. Ford IL

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by D. Ford, operating in Cairo, Illinois. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. D. Ford issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 95B-1a) is common for this merchant. 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 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 7 cataloged varieties, D. Ford was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 95B-1a