(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-410L-1a, Wm. Voigt WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Wm. Voigt of Madison, Wisconsin. 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 3 known varieties, Wm. Voigt produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 410L-1a) is common among the known varieties. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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. Voigt was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 410L-1a