(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225AH-1A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from C.B. Goodrich of Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225AH-1A. Detroit was Michigan's largest city and a major manufacturing center, producing stoves, railroad equipment, and industrial goods for the Northern war effort. C.B. Goodrich issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 225AH-1A) is common. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 9 cataloged varieties, C.B. Goodrich was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AH-1A