(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-480E-3a, H. Howe & Co. MI

Coin Details

Description

Store card of H. Howe & Co. in Hudson, Michigan, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Michigan's merchants across numerous cities actively produced tokens to combat the small change shortage affecting Northern commerce. With 3 known varieties, H. Howe & Co. produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 480E-3a) is common. 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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 3 cataloged varieties, H. Howe & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 480E-3a