(No Date) Silver Civil War Store Card F-150AG-4f, S.A. Ingram IL

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from S.A. Ingram of Chicago, Illinois, cataloged as Fuld 150AG-4f. Chicago was one of the fastest-growing cities in the world by 1860, rapidly becoming America's railroad hub and grain trading center with a population of 112,000. The 10 cataloged varieties for S.A. Ingram indicate a notable level of token production. This silver striking (Fuld 150AG-4f) is rare among the known varieties. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced as presentation or collector pieces.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 10 cataloged varieties, S.A. Ingram was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 150AG-4f