(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-540B-1a, L.C. Wescott WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 AU58BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of L.C. Wescott, located in New Lisbon, 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. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 540B-1a) is common. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. The transition from large copper cents to small-diameter bronze cents in 1857 had already created a shortage mindset, making the public particularly anxious about coin supplies when war began. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 1 cataloged varieties, L.C. Wescott was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 540B-1a