(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-410B-1a, Emigranten Office WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$408 MS66BN 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Emigranten Office in Wisconsin. Wisconsin was a growing frontier state with Milwaukee as its largest commercial center, and its merchants issued tokens as practical solutions to the coin shortage. With 2 known varieties, Emigranten Office produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 410B-1a) is common. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. 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 2 cataloged varieties, Emigranten Office was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 410B-1a