(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-85B-2B, MI

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 85B-2B — store card of Wm. R. Cobb, 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. Wm. R. Cobb issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 85B-2B) is common to somewhat scarce. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, Wm. R. Cobb was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 85B-2B