(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-300B-1a, L.R. Carswell WI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from L.R. Carswell of Janesville, Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 300B-1a. 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. With 2 known varieties, L.R. Carswell produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 300B-1a) is common. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 2 cataloged varieties, L.R. Carswell was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 300B-1a