(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-510AK-2a, C.T. Stamm & Son WI

Coin Details

Description

C.T. Stamm & Son, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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-2a) is common among the known varieties. 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. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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-2a