(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-660A-1B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Store card of J.M. Page & Co. in Morenci, Michigan, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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 2 known varieties, J.M. Page & Co. produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 660A-1B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 2 cataloged varieties, J.M. Page & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 660A-1B