(1861) Copper Civil War Store Card F-320B-2a, D.S. Brewster IL

Coin Details

Description

D.S. Brewster, a Freeport merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. With 2 known varieties, D.S. Brewster produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 320B-2a) is common for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 2 cataloged varieties, D.S. Brewster was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 320B-2a