(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-95B-1B, IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by D. Ford of Cairo, Illinois. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. D. Ford issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 95B-1B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, D. Ford was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 95B-1B