(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-560A-1b, Wm. Flemming & Bro. IA

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Wm. Flemming & Bro., a Lansing, Iowa business. Iowa contributed disproportionately to the war effort relative to its population, with merchants issuing tokens in small numbers reflecting its less urbanized economy. Wm. Flemming & Bro. issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 560A-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance. 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

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 5 cataloged varieties, Wm. Flemming & Bro. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 560A-1b