(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-140B-3A, IL

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by B.A. Wade & Co., operating in Chemung, Illinois. 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, B.A. Wade & Co. produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 140B-3A) is common. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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, B.A. Wade & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 140B-3A