(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-790A-2i, WI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 790A-2i — store card of Trowbridge's, Sheboygan, 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. Trowbridge's issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in zinc, this die combination (Fuld 790A-2i) is scarce. 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. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 6 cataloged varieties, Trowbridge's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 790A-2i