(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225L-1A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from F.A. Burkhart, a Detroit, Michigan business. Detroit's growing industrial economy made it a significant source of Civil War tokens, with merchants across the city issuing pieces to maintain commerce. F.A. Burkhart issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 225L-1A) is common for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. 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 Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 8 cataloged varieties, F.A. Burkhart was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225L-1A