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

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Messmore & Lucking, operating in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit was Michigan's largest city and a major manufacturing center, producing stoves, railroad equipment, and industrial goods for the Northern war effort. Messmore & Lucking issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 225AY-2B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 6 cataloged varieties, Messmore & Lucking was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225AY-2B