(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-190A-1a, E.H. Sheldon MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from E.H. Sheldon, a Constantin, Michigan business. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 2 known varieties, E.H. Sheldon produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 190A-1a) is common. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Merchants who issued tokens during the Civil War provided a critical public service by maintaining the ability to make change for routine purchases at a time when federal coinage had nearly vanished from everyday commerce. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 2 cataloged varieties, E.H. Sheldon was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 190A-1a