(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225BF-3D, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225BF-3D. 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 225BF-3D) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. 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 copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Fuld 225BF-3D