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

Coin Details

Description

Penoyer & Larkin of Paris issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War 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. The 10 cataloged varieties for Penoyer & Larkin indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 690D-3A) is common. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 10 cataloged varieties, Penoyer & Larkin was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 690D-3A