(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-450F-3B, MI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS62BN 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from J. Gottlieb of Hillsdale, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 450F-3B. 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. J. Gottlieb issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 450F-3B) is common to somewhat scarce. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 5 cataloged varieties, J. Gottlieb was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 450F-3B