(1861) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150N-2a, Dodd's Elgin Dairy IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Dodd's Elgin Dairy of Chicago, Illinois. Chicago was one of the fastest-growing cities in the world by 1860, rapidly becoming America's railroad hub and grain trading center with a population of 112,000. With 4 known varieties, Dodd's Elgin Dairy produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 150N-2a) is common among the known varieties. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 4 cataloged varieties, Dodd's Elgin Dairy was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150N-2a