(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-510E-1a, V. Blatz Lagerbeer WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$489 MS63BN 10-14-2016 Scotsman

Description

Civil War-era store card from V. Blatz Lagerbeer, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin business. 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 4 known varieties, V. Blatz Lagerbeer produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 510E-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 Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 4 cataloged varieties, V. Blatz Lagerbeer was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510E-1a