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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from C.E. Graff, 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. The 15 cataloged varieties for C.E. Graff indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 510O-3a) is common. 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. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 15 cataloged varieties, C.E. Graff was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 510O-3a