(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-460A-1a, WI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from E. Wirth of Mayfield, Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 460A-1a. 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 E. Wirth indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 460A-1a) is common 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. 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 10 cataloged varieties, E. Wirth was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460A-1a