(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630BE-8b, G. Parsons NY

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 630BE-8b — store card of G. Parsons, New York. G. Parsons operated a fireworks business in New York City and issued tokens advertising "G. PARSONS FIREWORKS" in 1863. Some varieties are extremely rare (R-8), including a German Silver striking that is unique as the only certified example. The large number of die combinations indicates either a long production run or deliberate creation of varieties. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 630BE-8b) is common to somewhat scarce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 56 cataloged varieties, G. Parsons was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630BE-8b