(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-280E-3A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Store card of A. Schmitz in Michigan, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Michigan was a significant industrial state during the Civil War, with Detroit emerging as a major manufacturing center and merchants across the state producing tokens. With 3 known varieties, A. Schmitz produced a modest number of token types. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 280E-3A) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. 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. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 3 cataloged varieties, A. Schmitz was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 280E-3A