(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225AE-2A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from F. Geis & Bro's of 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. F. Geis & Bro's issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 225AE-2A) is common among the known varieties. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. 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 7 cataloged varieties, F. Geis & Bro's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AE-2A