(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-95B-2B, IL

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by D. Ford, operating in 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-2B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

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-2B