(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-250F-4a, F.R.Schettler WI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from F.R. Schettler of Green Bay, Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 250F-4a. 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. F.R. Schettler issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 250F-4a) is common. 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. Die sinkers in major cities competed fiercely for merchant orders, offering stock reverses that could be paired with custom obverse dies featuring the merchant's name and business information. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 6 cataloged varieties, F.R. Schettler was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 250F-4a