(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-370H-5B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from J.W. Peirce of Grand Rapids, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 370H-5B. Grand Rapids was a growing commercial center in western Michigan, famous for its furniture manufacturing and lumber industry. The 12 cataloged varieties for J.W. Peirce indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 370H-5B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. 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

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 12 cataloged varieties, J.W. Peirce was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 370H-5B