(1864) Civil War Store Card F-520A-1a, C.H. Taylor IL

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,476 AU50BN 09-26-2023 eBay

Description

Merchant token from C.H. Taylor of Lodi, Illinois, cataloged as Fuld 520A-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 3 known varieties, C.H. Taylor produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 520A-1a) is common for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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, C.H. Taylor was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 520A-1a