(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-150AA-2A, IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Haas & Powell, a Chicago, Illinois business. Chicago was one of the fastest-growing cities in the world by 1860, rapidly becoming America's railroad hub and grain trading center with a population of 112,000. With 3 known varieties, Haas & Powell produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 150AA-2A) is common for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. 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. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 3 cataloged varieties, Haas & Powell was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150AA-2A