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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by J.F. Siehler of Chicago, Illinois. Chicago's explosive growth as a railroad and commodity trading center made it Illinois' primary source of Civil War store cards. J.F. Siehler issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 150BB-1A) is common for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. 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 Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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, J.F. Siehler was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 150BB-1A