(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-510AO-2b, WI

Coin Details

Description

I. Teller, a Milwaukee merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Milwaukee was Wisconsin's largest city and a major brewing and manufacturing center, with its large German immigrant population strongly supporting the Union cause. I. Teller issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 510AO-2b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 5 cataloged varieties, I. Teller was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 510AO-2b