(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-700A-2a, J.I. Case & Co. WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by J.I. Case & Co. of Racine, Wisconsin. Wisconsin was a growing frontier state with Milwaukee as its largest commercial center, and its merchants issued tokens as practical solutions to the coin shortage. With 4 known varieties, J.I. Case & Co. produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 700A-2a) is common among the known varieties. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. 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, 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 4 cataloged varieties, J.I. Case & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 700A-2a