(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-250D-1a, D. Larzelere & Co. MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of D. Larzelere & Co., located in Dowagiac, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 2 known varieties, D. Larzelere & Co. produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 250D-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 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 2 cataloged varieties, D. Larzelere & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 250D-1a