(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-900B-1a, W. Prusel & Co MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 900B-1a — store card of W. Prusel & Co, Schl.craft, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 4 known varieties, W. Prusel & Co produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 900B-1a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The coin shortage of 1862-1864 affected virtually every retail transaction in the Northern states, as hoarding removed silver and copper coins from circulation faster than the U.S. Mint could replace them. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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, W. Prusel & Co was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 900B-1a