(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-40E-2a, Wm. Wagner MI

Coin Details

Description

Wm. Wagner, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Michigan was a significant industrial state during the Civil War, with Detroit emerging as a major manufacturing center and merchants across the state producing tokens. With 3 known varieties, Wm. Wagner produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 40E-2a) is common for this merchant. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 3 cataloged varieties, Wm. Wagner was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 40E-2a