(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-700A-3a, WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of J.I. Case & Co., located in Racine, Wisconsin. Wisconsin was a growing frontier state with Milwaukee as its largest commercial center, and its merchants issued tokens as practical solutions to the coin shortage. With 4 known varieties, J.I. Case & Co. produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 700A-3a) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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, J.I. Case & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 700A-3a