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

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by F.A. Burkhart, operating in 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. F.A. Burkhart issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 225L-3A) 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 hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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-3A