(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-225G-4d, Geo. Beard & Son MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Geo. Beard & Son, located in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit was Michigan's largest city and a major manufacturing center, producing stoves, railroad equipment, and industrial goods for the Northern war effort. Geo. Beard & Son issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 225G-4d) is somewhat scarce. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. 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-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 7 cataloged varieties, Geo. Beard & Son was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225G-4d