(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225CN-3A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225CN-3A. 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 composition of this variety (Fuld 225CN-3A) is common for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 5 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225CN-3A