(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-150AK-5B, IL

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 150AK-5B — store card of Marsh & Miner, Chicago, Illinois. 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 brass composition of this variety (Fuld 150AK-5B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 11 cataloged varieties, Marsh & Miner was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 150AK-5B