(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-150N-4A, IL

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Dodd's Elgin Dairy in Chicago, Illinois, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. This copper striking (Fuld 150N-4A) is common among the known varieties. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. 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 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 4 cataloged varieties, Dodd's Elgin Dairy was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150N-4A