(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150AC-3a, Harlev & Johnson IL

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 150AC-3a — store card of Harlev & Johnson, Illinois. Illinois was a critical Union state with Chicago rapidly becoming one of America's largest commercial centers, driving token production across the state. With 3 known varieties, Harlev & Johnson produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 150AC-3a) is common. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 3 cataloged varieties, Harlev & Johnson was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150AC-3a