(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-225AFa-9d, F. Geiss MI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from F. Geiss & Bro's of Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225AFa-9d. Detroit's growing industrial economy made it a significant source of Civil War tokens, with merchants across the city issuing pieces to maintain commerce. F. Geiss & Bro's issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 225AFa-9d) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. 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 copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 6 cataloged varieties, F. Geiss & Bro's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AFa-9d