(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-500B-5a, M. Weaver IL

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 VF30BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Store card of M. Weaver in Lena, Illinois, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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, M. Weaver produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 500B-5a) is common. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. 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 3 cataloged varieties, M. Weaver was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 500B-5a