(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630BG-7b, John Quinn NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$360 MS65 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of John Quinn in New York. John Quinn operated a grocery store at the corner of 26th Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City. His tokens feature the patriotic reverse inscription "MONEY MAKES THE MARE GO — GO IT BUTTONS" with imagery of a man walking with coins spilling from a bindle. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 630BG-7b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 31 cataloged varieties, John Quinn was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630BG-7b