(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-450N-1a, R. Rowe MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by R. Rowe of Hillsdale, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 2 known varieties, R. Rowe produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 450N-1a) is common among the known varieties. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The coin shortage of 1862-1864 affected virtually every retail transaction in the Northern states, as hoarding removed silver and copper coins from circulation faster than the U.S. Mint could replace them. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 2 cataloged varieties, R. Rowe was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 450N-1a