(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225BE-7D, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225BE-7D. Detroit's growing industrial economy made it a significant source of Civil War tokens, with merchants across the city issuing pieces to maintain commerce. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 225BE-7D) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 12 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225BE-7D