(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-150BG-1a, C. Winsauer IL

Coin Details

Auction Record

$264 MS62BN 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

C. Winsauer 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, C. Winsauer produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 150BG-1a) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 2 cataloged varieties, C. Winsauer was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 150BG-1a