(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-320E-2a, Freeport Brewery IL

Coin Details

Auction Record

$120 VF Details 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Helena Hertrich, 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, Helena Hertrich produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 320E-2a) is common among the known varieties. 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. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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, Helena Hertrich was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 320E-2a