(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-680A-2B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 680A-2B — store card of E.C. Morse, Mussey, 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. E.C. Morse issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 680A-2B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. 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. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. 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 5 cataloged varieties, E.C. Morse was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 680A-2B