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

Coin Details

Auction Record

$109 MS62BN 08-22-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War store card issued by Friedrich Thiele of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. With 3 known varieties, Friedrich Thiele produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 510AN-1a) is common. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, the U.S. Mint dramatically increased production of small-denomination coins, and the new bronze two-cent piece helped alleviate the shortage. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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, Friedrich Thiele was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510AN-1a