(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-65A-2A, IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from S.P. Sedgwick & Co., a Bloomingdl, Illinois business. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. The 13 cataloged varieties for S.P. Sedgwick & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 65A-2A) is common among the known varieties. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 13 cataloged varieties, S.P. Sedgwick & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 65A-2A