(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-510AA-3a, WI

Coin Details

Description

Store card of A. Miller & Co. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. The 14 cataloged varieties for A. Miller & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 510AA-3a) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. 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 14 cataloged varieties, A. Miller & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 510AA-3a