(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-450M-2a, Samm & Kuhlke MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Samm & Kuhlke, operating in Hillsdale, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 2 known varieties, Samm & Kuhlke produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 450M-2a) is common. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 2 cataloged varieties, Samm & Kuhlke was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 450M-2a