(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-150D-5A, KS

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Kansas, cataloged as Fuld 150D-5A. Kansas had been "Bleeding Kansas" in the 1850s slavery debate and was strongly Unionist. Its smaller population produced fewer token varieties. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 150D-5A) is common. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 5 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 150D-5A