(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-370L-1a, Tompkins MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Tompkins, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Grand Rapids was a growing commercial center in western Michigan, famous for its furniture manufacturing and lumber industry. With 3 known varieties, Tompkins produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 370L-1a) is common for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 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 3 cataloged varieties, Tompkins was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 370L-1a