(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-680A-1a, E.C. Morse MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 680A-1a — store card of E.C. Morse, Mussey, Michigan. 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. E.C. Morse issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 680A-1a) 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. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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, E.C. Morse was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 680A-1a