(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-510AA-1d, A. Miller & Co. WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of A. Miller & Co., located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. The 14 cataloged varieties for A. Miller & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 510AA-1d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 14 cataloged varieties, A. Miller & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 510AA-1d