(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-920B-2a, Dr. E. Hause MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Dr. E. Hause, a Tecumseh, Michigan business. 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. Dr. E. Hause issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 920B-2a) is common for this merchant. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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, Dr. E. Hause was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 920B-2a