(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-370G-1a, L.A. Merrill MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 370G-1a — store card of L.A. Merrill, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Grand Rapids was a growing commercial center in western Michigan, famous for its furniture manufacturing and lumber industry. With 2 known varieties, L.A. Merrill produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 370G-1a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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, L.A. Merrill was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 370G-1a