(1861) Copper Civil War Store Card F-275A-2a, P.H. Tompkins IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from P.H. Tompkins, an EL Paso, Illinois business. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. With 3 known varieties, P.H. Tompkins produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 275A-2a) is common among the known varieties. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. 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 3 cataloged varieties, P.H. Tompkins was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 275A-2a