(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-370H-4a, J.W. Peirce MI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$61 MS64BN 02-12-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

Merchant token from J.W. Peirce of Grand Rapids, Michigan, cataloged as Fuld 370H-4a. Grand Rapids was a growing commercial center in western Michigan, famous for its furniture manufacturing and lumber industry. The 12 cataloged varieties for J.W. Peirce indicate a notable level of token production. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 370H-4a) is common for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 12 cataloged varieties, J.W. Peirce was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 370H-4a