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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Geo. E. Curtis, located in Detroit, Michigan. As Michigan's commercial hub, Detroit generated more Civil War token varieties than any other city in the state, reflecting its diverse merchant community. Geo. E. Curtis issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 225T-3A) is common for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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. E. Curtis was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225T-3A