(1862) Brass Civil War Store Card F-370D-2b, Goodrich & Gay MI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$65 MS61 11-16-2022 Heritage Auctions

Description

Merchant token from Goodrich & Gay of Grand Rapids, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 370D-2b. Grand Rapids was a growing commercial center in western Michigan, famous for its furniture manufacturing and lumber industry. Goodrich & Gay issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This brass striking (Fuld 370D-2b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, Goodrich & Gay was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 370D-2b