(1863) Civil War Store Card F-225-AF-2b, F-MI-225-ADetroit; Geiss/1042 MI

Coin Details

Description

F-MI-225-ADetroit; Geiss/1042 of Michigan issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The coin shortage was exacerbated by the simultaneous withdrawal of gold and silver from circulation following the suspension of specie payments in December 1861. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 19 cataloged varieties, Detroit; Adderley/1069 was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225-AF