(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225BW-2A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by /a Bi-Metallic Geo. Snooks 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. The 10 cataloged varieties for /a Bi-Metallic Geo. Snooks indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 225BW-2A) is common. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. 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 10 cataloged varieties, /a Bi-Metallic Geo. Snooks was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225BW-2A