(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150AX-1ao, H. Regensburg-Stk on 1852 1C IL Cent IL

Coin Details

Description

H. Regensburg of Illinois produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime 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, H. Regensburg produced a modest number of token types. This piece is an overstrike struck over a host coin, an 1863 Indian Head cent. Traces of the original design may be visible beneath the new impressions. 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 Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation.

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. Overstrike varieties are generally scarcer than tokens struck on blank planchets, as they required sourcing and re-striking existing coins. With 2 cataloged varieties, H. Regensburg was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150AX-1ao