(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-510AB-1a, Friedrich Miller WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$99 MS62BN 11-20-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

Friedrich Miller of Milwaukee issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Milwaukee was Wisconsin's largest city and a major brewing and manufacturing center, with its large German immigrant population strongly supporting the Union cause. Friedrich Miller issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 510AB-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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. 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 7 cataloged varieties, Friedrich Miller was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 510AB-1a