(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-370K-2A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from A. Roberts & Son of Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 370K-2A. 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. A. Roberts & Son issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 370K-2A) is common among the known varieties. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.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 6 cataloged varieties, A. Roberts & Son was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 370K-2A