(No Date) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-45A-5d, Peck & Orvis WI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Peck & Orvis, a Baraboo, Wisconsin business. 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. The 13 cataloged varieties for Peck & Orvis indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 45A-5d) is somewhat scarce. 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. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 13 cataloged varieties, Peck & Orvis was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 45A-5d