(1861) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150AZ-2a, F.E. Rigby IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by F.E. Rigby of Chicago, Illinois. Chicago's explosive growth as a railroad and commodity trading center made it Illinois' primary source of Civil War store cards. F.E. Rigby issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 150AZ-2a) is common. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Civil War tokens circulated alongside postage currency, fractional currency notes, and encased postage stamps as substitutes for the federal coins that had disappeared from commercial channels. 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

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 5 cataloged varieties, F.E. Rigby was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 150AZ-2a