(1861) Brass Civil War Store Card F-150AI-3b, Kendall's Sons & Co IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Kendall's Sons & Co, a Chicago, Illinois business. Chicago's explosive growth as a railroad and commodity trading center made it Illinois' primary source of Civil War store cards. Kendall's Sons & Co issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This brass striking (Fuld 150AI-3b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 6 cataloged varieties, Kendall's Sons & Co was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 150AI-3b