(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-762A-2D, IL

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from V.A. Lake of Rockton, Illinois, cataloged as Fuld 762A-2D. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. V.A. Lake issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 762A-2D) is somewhat scarce. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 5 cataloged varieties, V.A. Lake was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 762A-2D