(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-120D-4a, WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Williams Bro's, located in Columbus, Wisconsin. Columbus, the state capital, was a major military staging area with Camp Chase housing Confederate prisoners and thousands of Union troops training within the city. Williams Bro's issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 120D-4a) is common. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. 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 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 5 cataloged varieties, Williams Bro's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 120D-4a