(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-510AQ-1d, WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Hermann Voigt, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin business. Milwaukee was Wisconsin's largest city and a major brewing and manufacturing center, with its large German immigrant population strongly supporting the Union cause. Hermann Voigt issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 510AQ-1d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 5 cataloged varieties, Hermann Voigt was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 510AQ-1d