(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225C-2I, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225C-2I. As Michigan's commercial hub, Detroit generated more Civil War token varieties than any other city in the state, reflecting its diverse merchant community. The zinc composition of this variety (Fuld 225C-2I) is scarce for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Zinc strikings are uncommon and prone to corrosion, making preserved examples desirable. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 8 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225C-2I