(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-320A-2a, S.H. Coleman WI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$216 XF Details 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by S.H. Coleman in 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 3 known varieties, S.H. Coleman produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 320A-2a) is common. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. 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 3 cataloged varieties, S.H. Coleman was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 320A-2a