(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-185A-1a, C.W. Smith WI

Coin Details

Description

C.W. Smith, based in East Troy, Wisconsin, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime 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. The 12 cataloged varieties for C.W. Smith indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 185A-1a) is common among the known varieties. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 12 cataloged varieties, C.W. Smith was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 185A-1a