(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-250B-1b, WI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Hoffman & Lewis, operating in Green Bay, 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, Hoffman & Lewis produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 250B-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 2 cataloged varieties, Hoffman & Lewis was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 250B-1b