(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-225T-1a, Geo. E. Curtis MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 225T-1a — store card of Geo. E. Curtis, 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. E. Curtis issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 225T-1a) is common among the known varieties. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 7 cataloged varieties, Geo. E. Curtis was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225T-1a