(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-450A-2B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 450A-2B — store card of J.O. Ames, Hillsdale, Michigan. 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, J.O. Ames produced a modest number of token types. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 450A-2B) is common to somewhat scarce. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 3 cataloged varieties, J.O. Ames was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 450A-2B