(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-915A-1b, G.W. Stephenson MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by G.W. Stephenson of St. Johns, Michigan. 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 2 known varieties, G.W. Stephenson produced a modest number of token types. This brass striking (Fuld 915A-1b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 2 cataloged varieties, G.W. Stephenson was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 915A-1b