(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-500B-4a, M. Weaver IL

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of M. Weaver, located in Lena, 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, M. Weaver produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 500B-4a) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. 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. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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, M. Weaver was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 500B-4a