(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-450A-1b, J.O. Ames MI

Coin Details

Description

J.O. Ames of Hillsdale issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Michigan was a significant industrial state during the Civil War, with Detroit emerging as a major manufacturing center and merchants across the state producing tokens. With 3 known varieties, J.O. Ames produced a modest number of token types. This brass striking (Fuld 450A-1b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. 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 3 cataloged varieties, J.O. Ames was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 450A-1b