(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-690B-3A, IL

Coin Details

Description

A.C. Connely's, a Paris merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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. This copper striking (Fuld 690B-3A) is common among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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

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 9 cataloged varieties, A.C. Connely's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 690B-3A