(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-95B-3B, 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. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 95B-3B) is common to somewhat scarce. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

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-3B