(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225BC-2D, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Perkins Hotel of Detroit, Michigan. As Michigan's commercial hub, Detroit generated more Civil War token varieties than any other city in the state, reflecting its diverse merchant community. Perkins Hotel issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 225BC-2D) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 6 cataloged varieties, Perkins Hotel was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225BC-2D