(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-250F-2a, F.R. Schettler WI

Coin Details

Description

F.R. Schettler, based in Green Bay, 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. F.R. Schettler issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 250F-2a) is common. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. 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 6 cataloged varieties, F.R. Schettler was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 250F-2a