(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-150AK-4d, Marsh & Miner IL

Coin Details

Description

Marsh & Miner of Chicago issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Chicago's explosive growth as a railroad and commodity trading center made it Illinois' primary source of Civil War store cards. The 11 cataloged varieties for Marsh & Miner indicate a notable level of token production. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 150AK-4d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. 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-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 11 cataloged varieties, Marsh & Miner was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 150AK-4d