(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-220K-2a, WI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by C.J. Pettibone & Co., operating in Fonddulac, 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. With 2 known varieties, C.J. Pettibone & Co. produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 220K-2a) is common among the known varieties. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 2 cataloged varieties, C.J. Pettibone & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 220K-2a