(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-225N-2a, Campbell Linn & Co. MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Campbell. Linn & Co. in 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. With 4 known varieties, Campbell. Linn & Co. produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 225N-2a) is common among the known varieties. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 4 cataloged varieties, Campbell. Linn & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 225N-2a