(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225L-5A, 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-5A) is common for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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-5A