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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225BI-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 225BI-3D) 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. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 8 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225BI-3D