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

Coin Details

Description

Dodd's Elgin Dairy, a Chicago merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 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. With 4 known varieties, Dodd's Elgin Dairy produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 150N-3A) is common for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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 4 cataloged varieties, Dodd's Elgin Dairy was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150N-3A