(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-960A-5A, MI

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by E. Hewitt & Bro., operating in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. E. Hewitt & Bro. issued 8 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 960A-5A) is common for this merchant. 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. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 8 cataloged varieties, E. Hewitt & Bro. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 960A-5A