(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-25A-1a, Ira Mayhew MI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$192 MS66BN 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Ira Mayhew, located in Albion, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 2 known varieties, Ira Mayhew produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 25A-1a) is common among the known varieties. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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, Ira Mayhew was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 25A-1a