(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-720A-5d, Greenway & Co's WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Greenway & Co's, located in Ripon, 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. The 11 cataloged varieties for Greenway & Co's indicate a notable level of token production. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 720A-5d) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 11 cataloged varieties, Greenway & Co's was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 720A-5d