(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-370H-4b, J.W. Peirce MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J.W. Peirce, operating in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Grand Rapids was a growing commercial center in western Michigan, famous for its furniture manufacturing and lumber industry. The 12 cataloged varieties for J.W. Peirce indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 370H-4b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 12 cataloged varieties, J.W. Peirce was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 370H-4b