(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225AF-3A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from F. Geiss & Bro's of Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225AF-3A. 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. The 11 cataloged varieties for F. Geiss & Bro's indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 225AF-3A) is common for this merchant. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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 11 cataloged varieties, F. Geiss & Bro's was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AF-3A