(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-510Y-2a, WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by A. Lederer & Co. of 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 4 known varieties, A. Lederer & Co. produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 510Y-2a) is common. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. 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, A. Lederer & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 510Y-2a