(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-310F-1d, Waldo & Brandon's WI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Waldo & Brandon's of Jefferson, Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 310F-1d. 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 2 known varieties, Waldo & Brandon's produced a modest number of token types. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 310F-1d) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 2 cataloged varieties, Waldo & Brandon's was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 310F-1d