(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-45A-2B, IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Belvidere, Illinois, cataloged as Fuld 45A-2B. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. This brass striking (Fuld 45A-2B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. 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. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 3 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 45A-2B