(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-525C-4A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 525C-4A — store card of Jackson, Jackson, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. Jackson issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 525C-4A) is common for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. 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. 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 9 cataloged varieties, Jackson was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 525C-4A