(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-85A-3A, MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Roswell Barnes, located in Brighton, 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. Roswell Barnes issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 85A-3A) 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. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. 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 6 cataloged varieties, Roswell Barnes was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 85A-3A