(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-225BV-3a, Yankee Smith's MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Yankee Smith's, operating in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit was Michigan's largest city and a major manufacturing center, producing stoves, railroad equipment, and industrial goods for the Northern war effort. Yankee Smith's issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 225BV-3a) is common. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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, Yankee Smith's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225BV-3a