(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-920D-3b, T. Dervin WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$360 MS63 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

T. Dervin, based in Watertown, Wisconsin, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. The 12 cataloged varieties for T. Dervin indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 920D-3b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 12 cataloged varieties, T. Dervin was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 920D-3b