(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-510AK-1a, C.T. Stamm & Son WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from C.T. Stamm & Son, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin business. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. With 3 known varieties, C.T. Stamm & Son produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 510AK-1a) is common among the known varieties. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. The Act of April 22, 1864 effectively ended private coinage by imposing penalties of up to five years imprisonment and a $2,000 fine for producing unauthorized coins or tokens. 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 3 cataloged varieties, C.T. Stamm & Son was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510AK-1a