Civil War Token - MI225CM

Thanks Mint Marq. I found it on two different sites as an R-9 but I can also create two more site before morning saying the same. If your book defines it to be R-6 I think it is probably more reliable.

As for the corrosion, there is probably more than you can see in the photo. Not the prettiest token I have ever seen. When I first looked at it I told my friend I was not interested at all for that reason. He pressed me to put a report together on it so I thought I'd put it up here in hopes of other opinions. So thank you for that.

Detroit hometown, eh. I can stand on my front porch and see Detroit, as I am in Windsor. I don't get over there very often any more since the tighening of the border. Those guards are quite a deterent from hopping over there for dinner.

Fuld lists 8 varieties of this Civil War Token in the 1975 storecard reference:

MI-225M-1a    (1039 reverse - 1863 Indian - copper - reeded edge)  R-7  (estimated 11-20 specimens)
      M-1a1   (1039    "    -   "     "   -    "   - plain   "  )  R-9  (    "      2-4      "    )
      M-2a    (1040    "    -   "     "   -    "   - reeded  "  )  R-9  (    "      2-4      "    )
      M-3a    (1042    "    -   "     "   -    "   -    "    "  )  R-6  (    "     21-75     "    )
      M-3b    (1042    "    -   "     "   -  brass -    "    "  )  R-8  (    "      5-10     "    )
      M-3i    (1042    "    -   "     "   -  zinc  -    "    "  )  R-9  (    "      2-4      "    )
      M-4a    (1047    "    - 1864    "   - copper -    "    "  )  R-9  (    "      2-4      "    )
      M-4d    (1047    "    -   "     "   -   CN   -    "    "  )  R-9  (    "      2-4      "    )

The 1962 Fuld storecard booklet did not list all the varieties (die/metal combinations, edge variations, etc.) for each merchant. With regard to the rarity ratings for each merchant, Fuld then gave the rarity for the most common variety; in this particular case, being R-6. As locality is a principal concern for most collectors of tokens, The Fulds initially sought in 1962 to provide a resource of availability for then known merchants in each town. Their 1970's volumes were far more detailed ... a tremendous effort! Naturally, there were errors made, but the bulk of what they set forth has withstood the test of time.

The subject token, MI-225-M, having a 1039 reverse die, comes with either a plain or a reeded edge. Which edge does this token have?

In terms of availability, the rarity of this token, be it R-9, R-7 or even R-1, is great in comparison to say a 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent. However, rarity doesn't necessarily mean big bucks, and demand will drive the value.

CWT collectors tend to be goal-oriented with regard to forming a collection. Unlike coin collectors, they have no album holes to plug. They often collect by state, town, subject matter (occupation, pictorials, etc.), die variety ... One of the more popular ways to collect CWT's is to assemble a representative set of merchants from a particular city (one variety issued by each merchant). The subject merchant evidences 8 varieties, ranging from R-6 to R-9. Using Fuld's estimates, there's a minimum of 47 specimens and a maximum of 125 specimens out there; making this merchant token relatively scarce but not impossible to attain. If this token was the only variety for this merchant and a legitimate R-9, the demand and concurrent value would be far greater.

It's not likely that the subject token would appeal to collectors who simply want a Michigan CWT for a state set; this, given its poor condition. The reverse die, 1039, is relatively common, having been used on many storecards in different states. The issuer's occupation, subject matter, is absent. It's copper planchet lacks the appeal of an off-metal. This said, the token certainly has appeal for a collector wanting to assemble a merchant set from Detroit. Certainly, some descendant would want a token issued by their ancestor! I'd humbly suggest that doing some research on the issuers (Googling) and attaching some history to the token would add to its desireability. It's a neat bit of history which can tell a story or two ...

Thank you ever so much for such a detailed explanation. That does help me considerably. It is the first Civl War token that I have seen so I was not sure what to expect. I have two other in hand that I was asked to research so I might just post them here first. It sounds like a recent Fuld guide is a necessity if I plan on doing proper research.

Thanks again.

Oh yes, the edge shows no signs of reeds that I can see through the 2x2 window is reeded. I am not prepared to remove it yet as it currently still belongs to a friend.

Hi rikando. Rotated dies are quite common on CWT's; this, as are other errors, like clipped dies, cuds, die clashes, etc. Indeed, there are some varieties of CWT's that are impossible to find without a particular error.

The 1970's Fuld storecard books aren't cheap. A good, used one will usually fetch over $50. There's a modern revision now in the works, and release of that will bring the prices of the old ones down, I expect. Even though many new varieties will be listed and older ones updated, the older storecard books will still be quite useful to average collectors. The Fulds really did a super job, and they were largely on the money when it came to listing the details for thousands of sorecards.

You might want to check out the Civil War Token Society website: http://www.cwtsociety.com/

This is the sesquicentennial year for the Civil War. Personally, I suspect that more collectors will be drawn to this area of collecting as the media sparks increased awareness. In general, CWT's appear to be way under-priced, considering that there are literally thousands of varieties for which ten or less specimens are known.

Thank you again ExoGuy for the information. I'll have a look over the cwt society site to help familiarize myself better before I post the other two.

P.S. - The wording on this token's obverse, being "S.M. Co." now becomes clear. That's Sewing Machine Company!

Wow, that is alot more information than I expect. It is always nice to have the history behind a coin or token. It certainly seems that the civil War tokens each carry a story along with them. A lot more interesting than mordern coins, that is for sure. Thank you again for all of your effort.

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I did go to the Civl Car Society site but there is limited information available to the unpaid visitor. I have not yet decided to obtain a subsciption, but you are making a rather strong case for such a small cost.