(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-435A-1a, I. Livingston WI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by I. Livingston, operating in Marshall, 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 2 known varieties, I. Livingston produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 435A-1a) is common for this merchant. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 2 cataloged varieties, I. Livingston was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 435A-1a