(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-60aA-2a, Wm. Brooks MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 60aA-2a — store card of Wm. Brooks, Battle Crk, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 2 known varieties, Wm. Brooks produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 60aA-2a) is common among the known varieties. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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, Wm. Brooks was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 60aA-2a