(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-610B-4A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of C.M. Brewer, located in Marshall, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. C.M. Brewer issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 610B-4A) is common. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 5 cataloged varieties, C.M. Brewer was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 610B-4A