(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-920H-2a, Chas. Goeldner WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$99 VF35 11-09-2022 Heritage Auctions

Description

Chas. Goeldner, a Watertown merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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. Chas. Goeldner issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 920H-2a) is common among the known varieties. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 7 cataloged varieties, Chas. Goeldner was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 920H-2a