(1850) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630BZ-1b, Peter Warmkessel NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$144 MS63 04-13-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Peter Warmkessel of New York issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. New York state generated the second-largest body of Civil War token issues, concentrated in New York City but extending to Albany, Troy, Buffalo, and smaller commercial centers. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 630BZ-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. 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

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 25 cataloged varieties, Peter Warmkessel was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630BZ-1b