(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-450D-2a, Farnam's MI

Coin Details

Description

Farnam's, a Hillsdale merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 3 known varieties, Farnam's produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 450D-2a) is common. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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, Farnam's was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 450D-2a