(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-890B-2a, GW-623 J.L. Loveday & Co. IL

Coin Details

Auction Record

$552 MS65BN 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Store card of J.L. Loveday & Co. in Waukegan, 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 4 known varieties, J.L. Loveday & Co. produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 890B-2a) is common among the known varieties. 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. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 4 cataloged varieties, J.L. Loveday & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 890B-2a