(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-510V-1e, WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 510V-1e. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. The white metal composition of this variety (Fuld 510V-1e) is somewhat scarce 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. 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. White metal (a tin-based alloy) pieces are scarcer than copper and often show significant wear from their soft composition.

Rarity Notes

White metal (tin alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and tend to show more wear due to the softness of the alloy. With 4 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510V-1e