(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-180A-4A, MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by M.H. Clark, operating in Clarkston, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. M.H. Clark issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 180A-4A) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 8 cataloged varieties, M.H. Clark was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 180A-4A