(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225AW-3B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225AW-3B. Detroit's growing industrial economy made it a significant source of Civil War tokens, with merchants across the city issuing pieces to maintain commerce. This brass striking (Fuld 225AW-3B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. 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 7 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AW-3B