Numismatists Of Wisconsin
 

(This wonderful article comes to NOW NEWS courtesy of the Civil War Token Society and David Gladfelter. Published as an 8-part series in the Civil War Token Journal, we are privileged to reproduce the Wisconsin segment here. Where possible I have added images of the companion Civil War Tokens. –Editor)

Scrip Mates

by David Gladfelter and Sterling Rachootin, and dedicated to the memory of Stephen Tanenbaum

INTRODUCTION

What we are calling “scrip mates” are paper scrip issued by merchants who also issued metallic Civil War tokens. They and the tokens are exonumic mates; they go together in our collections. The term was “coined” by Sterling who published a series of articles about them over the years in our Journal, beginning in 1981. In his words:

(After buying the Fuld civil war token guide books) I was on my way to collecting Civil War tokens. From there I stumbled onto paper U. S. currency and it wasn’t long before I noticed private issued scrip at Ralph Goldstone’s setup at a coin show in Boston. One piece pictured a dime in color, and interestingly it had the signature of E. W. Hall, who issued the NY 985A-1a, 1b and 1c CWT. What a find! So I wrote the first article to appear in our Journal entitled “Scrip Mates” – private scrip signed by the issuer who also issued Civil War tokens.

So Sterling was the pioneer, and later, David and Steve also picked up this sideline to CWT collecting. Among the three of us, we assembled a fairly extensive number of “scrip mates” in our respective collections. We talked about writing up the group as a whole, but Steve’s sudden and tragic death occurred before the project got un- der way. Steve’s collection was auctioned by Stack’s-Bowers Galleries in Baltimore in November, 2012.

Sterling reviewed a draft of this article in 2011 and supplied a number of items for illustration. His recent death, sadly, has left it to David to put the article in final form. With illustrations, it is long and will run in installments.

With George Fuld’s permission, we are using the same Fuld numbers for the “scrip mates” as are used for the CWT. The variety numbers will begin with 11 so as to provide a good separation between the metal tokens and the paper scrip (in cases where the metal varieties exceed 10, as in the Yankee Robinson example below, a higher starting number for the scrip will be used). The fabric letter p, of course, stands for paper, as well as for cardboard which was used for some chits. Most “scrip mates” are scarce to rare; we make no rarity estimates, but where others have published them, we give those. A list of references cited in each installment will appear at the end of the installment.

WISCONSIN

Fuld # WI45A21p, Merchant: Peck & Orvis, Denomination: .25, Date: April 5, 18??, Reference: Not in Krause

Comments: H. A. Peck and Rufus A. Orvis operated their drug and grocery business in Baraboo from 1857 to 1863 per Hartzog. The handwritten “& Orvis” remnant of their name can barely be made out on the signature line at the bottom on the front of this well-worn pink chit. On the back, the handwritten name H. A. Peck and “No.59” are somewhat more distinct. The month and day of the printed date are read- able, but only the digits 18— of the year are legible. At present this chit is unique so a collector who wants it to match his/her token cannot be fussy about condition. Hopefully more examples will come to light in the future. No imprint; only the one denomination presently known.

Fuld #WI120B-11p, Merchant: Frank Huggins, Denomination: .03, Date: January 29, 1863, Reference: Not in Krause

Comments: Here is another Wisconsin scrip mate in cardboard chit form. Like the previous, it also carries a date (not only the year 1863, as on the CWT, but also the day and month) of issue. Which came first, the token or the chit? Whichever it was, we can say positively that the dated chit proves that cardboard scrip was not supplanted by metal tokens, but continued to circulate side by side with them as emergency money (other chits with 1864 dates are known). Four examples of this scarce chit are known to your writer. The merchant’s handwritten initials F H appear on the back, probably to make the chits redeemable. They have no imprint but are in the style of the Chicago printer S. S. Millar, who during the war advertised and made similar round cardboard chits, some with imprints, for other Midwestern merchants.

Fuld #WI300D-11p and WI300E-11p, Merchant: E.Connell & Co. and M. Harsh, Denomination: .25, Date:December 1, 1862, Reference: Krause WI-297 SC5

Comments: This scrip mate has something in common with the CWT WI480A-1a in that it advertises two different CWT merchants on the same piece, E. Connell & Co. and M. Harsh. They are among 47 members of the Janesville Merchants’ Association who are named on the back of this note, issued in the name of the association and signed by its member-secretary, E. L. Dimock, of Jackman & Dimock. It is drawn on the association’s account at the Rock County Bank, of which F. W. Crosby was an officer and a likely relative of the bank’s cashier, James B. Crosby. An unknown person’s initials J.H.V. (?) appear in the serial number space. Per Krause, 1 to 5 examples are known, this being the Krause plate specimen. A .15 denomination also exists. No imprint.

Fuld# WI300D-3a - Fuld# WI300E-1a

Fuld# WI310B-11p, Merchant: John Jung, Denomination: .50, Date: None, Reference: Not in Krause

Comments: This colorful note, lithographed in brown over a blue tint, is printed on a card stock and may be a proof. At any rate it is unsigned, but the merchant’s name is outlined in white on the undertint. With imprint of H. Seifert Lith. (Henry Seifert is listed as a lithographer at 217 E. Water St. in the 1858 Milwaukee city directory compiled by Smith, Du Moulin & Co.). Other denominations are known.

Fuld# WI320A-11p, WI320A-12p, WI320A-13p, WI320A-14p, Merchant: S.H. Coleman, Denominations: .05, .10, .25, .10, Date: July 29, 1862, (14p – 1862), Reference: Krause WI 307 SC1, SC2, SC5, (14p – Not in Krause)

Comments: The 11p, 12p and 13p series of notes was only known in remainder form until these issued notes appeared in the sale of the Herb and Martha Schingoethe collection, and Krause’s listings do not identify the merchant. All are lithographed in black over a pale green tint with the imprint of Merritt & Brown, N.Y. per Krause, 5 to 10 examples are known of each denomination, but as issued notes they are rare. Each denomination is of similar design but has different vignettes. The 14p note is a new find, discovered by Steve Tanenbaum who owned two examples. Although both are remainders, they are identifiable because the merchant’s name and business description are prominently displayed. This variety has a different imprint, Mil. News Pr. Only the one denomination is presently known.

Fuld# WI320A

Fuld# WI360B-11p, Merchant: Geo. E. Stanley, Denomination: 1.00, Date: 1868, Reference: Not in Krause

Comments: Esperson’s Brick Block, shown on this blue-lithographed advertising piece, was a commercial building in LaCrosse where various merchants had store space. George E. Stanley ran an advertisement in an 1866 business directory describing himself as a “dealer in watches, clocks & jewelry, silver plated ware, gold pens, fancy goods, perfumery, &c.”, also “pianos, melodeons, &c.” and as “general agent for the celebrated Grover & Baker’s Sewing Machines” – seemingly, everything that the cultured, well-to-do small-town Wisconsin matron might need. Stanley’s ad did not give a business address, but a close inspection of the vignette of the Esperson’s building on his 1868 note appears to show his name above the awning in front of the building. The note lists the various products in which Stanley dealt, but “farms”? On its face, the note appears to be a coupon, worth $1 off the price of an item in his “gift sale” – but why the prominent six-digit serial number? In a recent auction featuring a pair of Stanley’s notes, the cataloger speculated that it might have been one of 125,000 lottery tickets – quite a big event for an 1860s era small Wisconsin town. So here it is, call it what you like. Signed on the stone, with imprint of Western Engraving Co. Chicago.

Fuld# WI360B

Fuld#WI410D-11p and WI410J, Merchant: S. Klauber & Co. & Ramsey & Campbell, Denomination: .05, .10(12p), .25(13p), Date: Nov. 10, 1862, Reference: Krause WI 370 SC1,2,3

Comments: Like the Janesville note shown above, this series of scrip notes was put out by a merchant’s association, of which 20 members “and others” are named as guarantors on the back. The notes are drawn on the association’s account at the Bank of Madison and signed by its secretary, W. T. Leitch. Named members include two CWT merchants, S. Klauber & Co. and Ramsey & Campbell. The notes are without imprint. Per Krause, 6 to 10 examples are known of each of the two lowest denominations, and 1 to 5 of the .25, and also a .50 (WI-370 SC5).

Fuld #WI410J

Fuld#WI510E-11p, Merchant: Valentin Blatz, Denomination: .25, Date: None, Reference: Krause WI 530 SC5

Comments: This note is a remainder, identifiable by the merchant’s name (here the given name is spelled without a final letter e) being outlined in white on the pink undertint. (In the 1858 Milwaukee city directory the spelling of Blatz’s given name is anglicized to Valentine.) Per Hartzog, Blatz (1826-1894), a Bavarian as were many early Milwaukee families, learned the brewer’s trade there, then came to the United States in 1848, settling in Milwaukee the following year and opening his own brewery in 1851. Production grew steadily, from 500 barrels the first year, to 8,000 in 1861, and 34,000 in 1871. Today, beer bearing the Blatz label is still brewed in Milwaukee, but by the Miller Brewing Co. under contract with the Pabst Brewing Co., owner of the label. Blatz’s scrip mate has the imprint of H. Seifert Lith. Per Krause, 1 to 5 examples are known; this one is on regular paper and is not a proof.

Valentin Blatz

Fuld# WI930C-11p,12p,13p,14p, Merchant: H.W.Sherman Agt, Denomination: .05,.10,.25,.10(14p), Date: Dec 11, 1862(.05), Dec. 12, 1862(.10), Dec 16, 1862(.25), None(.10 14p), Reference: Krause WI836 SC1,2,5,2a

Comments: Henry W. Sherman was the agent for the People’s Accommodation Store, a retail dry goods and grocery business, as these notes show. Per Raikes, Sherman came to the Wisconsin Territory from New Haven, CT in the 1840s, settling in Waukesha where he found work as a clerk. The Waukesha Freeman of May 13,1862, carried the following notice: “The store recently occupied by C. Cork [another CWT merchant] has been rejuvenated, and is now being filled with a fine stock of Dry Goods, Boots and Shoes, Crockery, &c. It is termed ‘The People’s Accommodation Store’ and is under the management of that prince of good fellows, H. W. Sherman.” Sherman was the inside man in a partnership with one C. Jackson who owned a neighboring drug and book store. In 1864 that partnership dissolved and the business was taken over by R. L. Gove. Today the building houses a tattoo parlor, a sign of changing times. The old store’s notes come in two sizes (small with identical designs and vignettes for 11p, 12p and 13p, large with varying vignettes for 14p and others) and are form-printed in black with the merchant’s name and location custom-overprinted in red. The small size notes have the imprint Doty & McFarlan, New York; that on the large size includes the street address, 123 Wm. St., a neighborhood in lower Manhattan where other engravers and die sinkers had shops during the Civil War era. Krause lists additional notes of this merchant in small-size denominations of .50 and 1.00, and in large-size of .05, .25, .50 and 3.00. All varieties are tough; only 1 to 5 specimens are known of each. (NOW NOTE: original research cited here from NOW member Randy Raikes – see NOW NEWS archives – ‘The People’s Accommodation Store’)

As explained in the Introduction, this project was not intended to be a complete coverage of the “scrip mate” genre. Without doubt, it barely scratches the surface, as a first attempt at a listing often does. Thus we are confident that new issuers and varieties will turn up sooner or later, and that the body of known scrip put out by CWT merchants will expand. As it does, these new finds should, and will, be written up and published. We invite all collectors to contribute their discoveries to the pool of Scrip Mate information. -David Gladfelter (with and for Sterling Rachootin).

(Wisconsin collectors! Have you any Scrip Mates to report? Contact David through the Civil War Token Society or contact me and I will forward the information. –Editor)

REFERENCES USED

Archives International Auctions, Sale 23 (Fort Lee, N. J., March 10, 2015), lot 945 (George Stanley “lottery tickets”).

Rich Hartzog, Wisconsin Civil War Tokens: The Robert C. Kraft Collection (Rockford, IL: World Exonumia Press, 1991), pages 101, 102-103.

Kenneth Keller, Sutler Paper Money (Rockford, IL: World Exonumia Press, 1994), pages 84-85. Chester L. Krause, Wisconsin Obsolete Bank Notes and Scrip Iola, WI: Krause Publications 1994

Francis A. Lord, Civil War Sutlers and Their Wares (New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1969).

Randy Raikes, “The People’s Accommodation Store,” Numismatists of Wisconsin web site (accessed October 29, 2016).

Fred Reed, “Merchants Circulated Pasteboard Small Change,” Coins Magazine, March 9, 2010. Available online.

Smith, Du Moulin & Co., Milwaukee City Directory, Being a Complete General & Business Directory of the Entire City, Embracing the Name, Occupation and Address of Every Resident within the City Boundaries … and Much Other Useful Information. (Milwaukee: Jermain & Brightman, 1858.)

Wisconsin and Minnesota State Gazetteer, Shipper’s Guide and Business Directory for 1865 –1866, page 128 (advertisement of George E. Stanley). The State Historical Society of Wisconsin has a copy of this resource. It is useful for looking up information on businesses active in these states during these years. Doug Watson has compiled a list from this directory of Wisconsin and Minnesota merchants who issued CWT.

Also note “The Numismatic Legacy of ‘Yankee Robinson’” in Q. David Bowers, More Adventures with Rare Coins: Fifty Favorite Numismatic Stories (Collectors Universe, 2002), pages 197-252. A fine piece of research on the life of the issuer of the first Scrip Mate in this series.

TOKEN PHOTO CREDITS

WI300D-3a, WI320A, WI360B (Steve Hayden – civilwartokens.com)

WI300E-1a

WI410J (tokenwarlock – eBay store)




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