(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-225N-3a, Campbell Linn & Co. MI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Campbell. Linn & Co. of Michigan. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 4 known varieties, Campbell. Linn & Co. produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 225N-3a) is common among the known varieties. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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-3a