(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-5D-4a, Remington & Bennett MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Remington & Bennett, located in Adrian, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 4 known varieties, Remington & Bennett produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 5D-4a) is common among the known varieties. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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, Remington & Bennett was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 5D-4a