(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-460A-3b, WI

Coin Details

Description

E. Wirth, a Mayfield merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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 brass composition of this variety (Fuld 460A-3b) is common to somewhat scarce 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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 10 cataloged varieties, E. Wirth was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460A-3b