(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-620I-5a, Levy & Duncan WI

Coin Details

Description

Levy & Duncan of Oshkosh issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War 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. Levy & Duncan issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 620I-5a) is common for this merchant. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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, Levy & Duncan was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 620I-5a