(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225AW-2B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225AW-2B. Detroit was Michigan's largest city and a major manufacturing center, producing stoves, railroad equipment, and industrial goods for the Northern war effort. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 225AW-2B) is common to somewhat scarce. 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. 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 was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance. 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

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AW-2B