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

Coin Details

Description

Wm. B. Howe, based in Detroit, Michigan, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. As Michigan's commercial hub, Detroit generated more Civil War token varieties than any other city in the state, reflecting its diverse merchant community. Wm. B. Howe issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 225AP-2A) is common. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. 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 6 cataloged varieties, Wm. B. Howe was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AP-2A