(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225M-3B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Charles Busch of Detroit issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. As Michigan's commercial hub, Detroit generated more Civil War token varieties than any other city in the state, reflecting its diverse merchant community. Charles Busch issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 225M-3B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 8 cataloged varieties, Charles Busch was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225M-3B