(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-587B-2D, MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by A. Button, operating in Lyons, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. A. Button issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 587B-2D) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 6 cataloged varieties, A. Button was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 587B-2D