(1861) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150BC-3a, C&S. Stein IL

Coin Details

Auction Record

$124 MS63BN 09-11-2023 eBay

Description

Merchant token from C & S. Stein of Chicago, Illinois, cataloged as Fuld 150BC-3a. Chicago's explosive growth as a railroad and commodity trading center made it Illinois' primary source of Civil War store cards. C & S. Stein issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 150BC-3a) is common. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 6 cataloged varieties, C & S. Stein was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 150BC-3a