(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-300A-1a, E.S. Barrow WI

Coin Details

Description

E.S. Barrows of Wisconsin issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. 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 3 known varieties, E.S. Barrows produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 300A-1a) is common. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 3 cataloged varieties, E.S. Barrows was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 300A-1a