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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 510V-1f. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. This silver striking (Fuld 510V-1f) is rare among the known varieties. 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. Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced as presentation or collector pieces. 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

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 4 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510V-1f