(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-450J-3a, C.T. Mitchell & Co. MI

Coin Details

Description

Store card of C.T. Mitchell & Co. in Hillsdale, Michigan, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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 4 known varieties, C.T. Mitchell & Co. produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 450J-3a) is common for this merchant. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 4 cataloged varieties, C.T. Mitchell & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 450J-3a