(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225AB-3D, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225AB-3D. Detroit was Michigan's largest city and a major manufacturing center, producing stoves, railroad equipment, and industrial goods for the Northern war effort. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 225AB-3D) is somewhat scarce. 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. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 7 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AB-3D