(1863) Civil War Store Card F-225R-2a, A.W. Copeland's MI

Coin Details

Description

A.W. Copeland's, 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. A.W. Copeland's issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 225R-2a) is common 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. 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

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 8 cataloged varieties, A.W. Copeland's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225R-2a