(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-25B-1a, Comstock & Bro. MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Comstock & Bro., operating in Albion, Michigan. Michigan was a significant industrial state during the Civil War, with Detroit emerging as a major manufacturing center and merchants across the state producing tokens. With 3 known varieties, Comstock & Bro. produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 25B-1a) is common for this merchant. 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 3 cataloged varieties, Comstock & Bro. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 25B-1a