(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-920G-1a, W.C. Fountain WI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from W.C. Fountain of Watertown, Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 920G-1a. 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, W.C. Fountain produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 920G-1a) is common among the known varieties. 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. 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, W.C. Fountain was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 920G-1a