(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-225X-2I, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Detroit, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 225X-2I. Detroit's growing industrial economy made it a significant source of Civil War tokens, with merchants across the city issuing pieces to maintain commerce. The zinc composition of this variety (Fuld 225X-2I) is scarce for this merchant. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Zinc tokens corrode easily, and surviving examples in good condition are scarce. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Zinc strikings are relatively uncommon and prone to corrosion, making well-preserved examples particularly desirable. With 7 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 225X-2I