(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-45A-3B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from F.J. & J. Palmer's of Atlas, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 45A-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. F.J. & J. Palmer's issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 45A-3B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, F.J. & J. Palmer's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 45A-3B