(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-510E-1b, WI

Coin Details

Description

Store card of V. Blatz Lagerbeer 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. With 4 known varieties, V. Blatz Lagerbeer produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 510E-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. 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. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 4 cataloged varieties, V. Blatz Lagerbeer was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510E-1b