(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-755B-2A, IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Holmes & Norton of Rockford, Illinois. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. With 2 known varieties, Holmes & Norton produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 755B-2A) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 2 cataloged varieties, Holmes & Norton was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 755B-2A