(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225BD-1A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by W. Perkins, Jr of 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. W. Perkins, Jr issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 225BD-1A) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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 8 cataloged varieties, W. Perkins, Jr was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225BD-1A