(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-770A-2a, Fox & Smith MI

Coin Details

Description

Fox & Smith, based in Pontiac, Michigan, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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, Fox & Smith produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 770A-2a) is common for this merchant. 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, Fox & Smith was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 770A-2a