(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-370F-3A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Store card of C. Kusterer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Grand Rapids was a growing commercial center in western Michigan, famous for its furniture manufacturing and lumber industry. With 4 known varieties, C. Kusterer produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 370F-3A) is common among the known varieties. 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. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 4 cataloged varieties, C. Kusterer was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 370F-3A