(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-410G-1a, Madison Brewery WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$336 XF Details 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Madison Brewery, located in Madison, 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. Madison Brewery issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 410G-1a) is common for this merchant. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 6 cataloged varieties, Madison Brewery was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 410G-1a