(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-450M-1A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Samm & Kuhlke of 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 2 known varieties, Samm & Kuhlke produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 450M-1A) is common. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 2 cataloged varieties, Samm & Kuhlke was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 450M-1A