(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-890A-1B, IL

Coin Details

Description

Kingsley & Whipple of Waukegan 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. With 2 known varieties, Kingsley & Whipple produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 890A-1B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 2 cataloged varieties, Kingsley & Whipple was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 890A-1B