(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-150AB-1A, IL

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Wm. Harlev in 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, Wm. Harlev produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 150AB-1A) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. 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 2 cataloged varieties, Wm. Harlev was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150AB-1A