(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-225A-6b, W.J. Adderly MI

Coin Details

Description

W.J. Adderly, based in Detroit, Michigan, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Detroit was Michigan's largest city and a major manufacturing center, producing stoves, railroad equipment, and industrial goods for the Northern war effort. The 12 cataloged varieties for W.J. Adderly indicate a notable level of token production. This brass striking (Fuld 225A-6b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 12 cataloged varieties, W.J. Adderly was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225A-6b