(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-527E-1a, Vanness & Turner MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Vanness & Turner, a Jonesville, 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. With 2 known varieties, Vanness & Turner produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 527E-1a) is common among the known varieties. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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, Vanness & Turner was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 527E-1a