(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-150AI-3A, IL

Coin Details

Description

Kendall's Sons & Co of Chicago issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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. Kendall's Sons & Co issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 150AI-3A) is common. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 6 cataloged varieties, Kendall's Sons & Co was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 150AI-3A