(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-150R-2A, IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from A.W. Escherich, a Chicago, Illinois business. Chicago's explosive growth as a railroad and commodity trading center made it Illinois' primary source of Civil War store cards. With 4 known varieties, A.W. Escherich produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 150R-2A) is common among the known varieties. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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, A.W. Escherich was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150R-2A