(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-510E-3a, V. Blatz Lager Beer WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$492 MS64BN 10-14-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War-era store card from V. Blatz Lagerbeer, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin business. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. With 4 known varieties, V. Blatz Lagerbeer produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 510E-3a) is common. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. The coin shortage of 1862-1864 affected virtually every retail transaction in the Northern states, as hoarding removed silver and copper coins from circulation faster than the U.S. Mint could replace them. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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-3a