(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-745D-2a, J.D. Sherman MI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$144 XF45BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J.D. Sherman, operating in Paw Paw, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 2 known varieties, J.D. Sherman produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 745D-2a) is common. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. 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 2 cataloged varieties, J.D. Sherman was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 745D-2a