(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-450F-3a, J. Gottlieb MI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 AU50BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War-era store card from J. Gottlieb, a Hillsdale, Michigan business. 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. J. Gottlieb issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 450F-3a) is common among the known varieties. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Token production during the Civil War represented the largest private coinage movement in American history, with an estimated 25 million pieces struck between 1862 and 1864. 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 5 cataloged varieties, J. Gottlieb was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 450F-3a