(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-210A-1a, Ed. Weibezahn IL

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Ed. Weibezahn of Dixon, Illinois, cataloged as Fuld 210A-1a. 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, Ed. Weibezahn produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 210A-1a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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, Ed. Weibezahn was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 210A-1a