(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-920B-4a, Dr. E. Hause MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Dr. E. Hause, a Tecumseh, Michigan business. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. Dr. E. Hause issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 920B-4a) is common. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. The transition from large copper cents to small-diameter bronze cents in 1857 had already created a shortage mindset, making the public particularly anxious about coin supplies when war began. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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-4a