(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225AV-1B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Martin Bro's, a Detroit, Michigan business. Detroit was Michigan's largest city and a major manufacturing center, producing stoves, railroad equipment, and industrial goods for the Northern war effort. Martin Bro's issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 225AV-1B) is common to somewhat scarce. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 5 cataloged varieties, Martin Bro's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AV-1B