(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-280B-4a, N.W. Clark & Co MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 280B-4a — store card of N.W. Clark & Co, E.saginaw, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. N.W. Clark & Co issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 280B-4a) is common. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Token production during the Civil War represented the largest private coinage movement in American history, with an estimated 25 million pieces struck between 1862 and 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 6 cataloged varieties, N.W. Clark & Co was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 280B-4a