(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-190A-1B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by E.H. Sheldon of Constantin, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 2 known varieties, E.H. Sheldon produced a modest number of token types. This brass striking (Fuld 190A-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. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. 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, E.H. Sheldon was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 190A-1B