(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-615A-3a, J.W. Phelps & Co MI

Coin Details

Description

J.W. Phelps & Co, based in Mason, Michigan, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. With 4 known varieties, J.W. Phelps & Co produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 615A-3a) is common. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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

Cross References

Fuld 615A-3a