Civil War Merchant Token - Boyd and Bradly Cassopolis, Michigan

Reverse

Bust Left 13 Stars

Script: Latin

Lettering: 1863

Comment

1863 Boyd & Bradly, Cassopolis, MI, F-135A-1a, R.8, The seat of Cass County, the village of Cassopolis was 188 miles southwest of Detroit, situated on the stage route from Dowagiac to Elkhart, and home to about 500 residents.
We believe that Boyd refers to James Boyd, who was born in New York circa 1806. Like so many others, he relocated to southwestern Michigan prior to the 1842 birth of his son, Edward. James Boyd and his family resided in Decatur, Van Buren County, Michigan, where he was a farmer in 1850. A decade later, the Boyd family had relocated to LaGrange, Cass County, Michigan, and he continued his farming activity. The 1870 Census gives his residence as Cassopolis and his occupation as grocer. James Boyd was widowed before the 1880 Census, the last record of his residence. He was a self-employed "egg and butter dealer" in 1880.
The 1863 Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory lists James Boyd of Cassopolis, a partner in a drug business with Leander Tompkins. We are unable to identify Bradly, finding no contemporary records for that name in Cass county. However, the possibility exists that BRADLY on this token may have been a misspelling of Bradley or Brady. After all, the town name is misspelled on the token as CASSAPOLIS.
One of the keys to the Michigan version, this is a single merchant town with only about 10 pieces in existence in all grades. When Bryon Kanzinger penned The Civil War Token Collectors Guide a decade ago, he provided town rarities for every town in the Civil War store card version, no easy task. According to his rating, the 10 rarest Michigan towns, in order, are Saranac, Maple Rapids, Cassopolis, Coldwater, Litchfield, Schoolcraft, Manchester, Chelsea, Battle Creek, and Saginaw City.
An impressive Choice AU specimen, this piece ranks among the finest known Cassopolis tokens. Both sides have pleasing olive surfaces with splashes of maroon patina. Traces of luster remain.