(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225CG-1D, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225CG-1D. Detroit was Michigan's largest city and a major manufacturing center, producing stoves, railroad equipment, and industrial goods for the Northern war effort. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 225CG-1D) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. 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 6 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225CG-1D