(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-510R-4a, WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Ch. Hermann & Co., a Milwaukee, Wisconsin business. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. The 15 cataloged varieties for Ch. Hermann & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 510R-4a) is common. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. 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 15 cataloged varieties, Ch. Hermann & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 510R-4a