(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-225G-1a, Geo. Beard & Son MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Geo. Beard & Son, located 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. Geo. Beard & Son issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 225G-1a) is common among the known varieties. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 7 cataloged varieties, Geo. Beard & Son was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225G-1a