(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-510L-2a, WI

Coin Details

Description

Wm. Frankfurth, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime 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. Wm. Frankfurth issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 510L-2a) is common for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 5 cataloged varieties, Wm. Frankfurth was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 510L-2a