(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-700G-2a, WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$95 MS64 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War store card issued by Thos. Falvey of 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. Thos. Falvey issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 700G-2a) is common for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. 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. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 5 cataloged varieties, Thos. Falvey was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 700G-2a