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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by S.P. Sedgwick & Co. of Bloomingdl, Illinois. 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. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 65A-2B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. 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. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 13 cataloged varieties, S.P. Sedgwick & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 65A-2B