(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-410J-1d, WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 410J-1d. 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. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 410J-1d) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 2 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 410J-1d