(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-565A-2b, P. Lochary MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 565A-2b — store card of P. Lochary, Lapeer, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 4 known varieties, P. Lochary produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 565A-2b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 4 cataloged varieties, P. Lochary was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 565A-2b