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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, cataloged as Fuld 510V-3a. Milwaukee's thriving German-American merchant community made it the center of Wisconsin's Civil War token production. This copper striking (Fuld 510V-3a) is common among the known varieties. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. 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 4 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510V-3a