(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-510P-1a, WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of C. Hambach., located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee was Wisconsin's largest city and a major brewing and manufacturing center, with its large German immigrant population strongly supporting the Union cause. With 2 known varieties, C. Hambach. produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 510P-1a) is common. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 2 cataloged varieties, C. Hambach. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510P-1a