(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-690B-2I, IL

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from A.C. Connely's of Paris, Illinois, cataloged as Fuld 690B-2I. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. A.C. Connely's issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in zinc, this die combination (Fuld 690B-2I) is scarce. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 9 cataloged varieties, A.C. Connely's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 690B-2I