(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-40B-3B, MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Dean & Co., operating in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. The 17 cataloged varieties for Dean & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 40B-3B) is common to somewhat scarce. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 17 cataloged varieties, Dean & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 40B-3B