(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-420A-2a, WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by W.H. Horn of Manitowoc, 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. The 10 cataloged varieties for W.H. Horn indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 420A-2a) is common for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. 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 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 10 cataloged varieties, W.H. Horn was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 420A-2a