(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-700A-1a, G.A. Colby & Co. MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by G.A. Colby & Co., operating in Niles, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 2 known varieties, G.A. Colby & Co. produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 700A-1a) is common for this merchant. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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, G.A. Colby & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 700A-1a