(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-510AA-4b, A. Miller & Co. WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$192 UNC Details 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Store card of A. Miller & Co. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. The 14 cataloged varieties for A. Miller & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 510AA-4b) is common to somewhat scarce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. 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

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 14 cataloged varieties, A. Miller & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 510AA-4b