(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225G-4A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Geo. Beard & Son 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. Geo. Beard & Son issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 225G-4A) is common among the known varieties. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 7 cataloged varieties, Geo. Beard & Son was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225G-4A