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

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 225B-2A — store card of American Coffee Mills, Detroit, Michigan. Detroit's growing industrial economy made it a significant source of Civil War tokens, with merchants across the city issuing pieces to maintain commerce. American Coffee Mills issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 225B-2A) is common among the known varieties. 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. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 9 cataloged varieties, American Coffee Mills was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225B-2A