(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-495A-2B, MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by James Kennedy, operating in Ionia, 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, James Kennedy produced a modest number of token types. This brass striking (Fuld 495A-2B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. 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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. 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 3 cataloged varieties, James Kennedy was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 495A-2B