(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-510AH-1a, J. Scheidhauer WI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from J. Scheidhauer of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 510AH-1a. Milwaukee was Wisconsin's largest city and a major brewing and manufacturing center, with its large German immigrant population strongly supporting the Union cause. With 2 known varieties, J. Scheidhauer produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 510AH-1a) is common among the known varieties. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. 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, J. Scheidhauer was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510AH-1a