(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630BQ-2b, PH.J. Seiter's NY

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from PH.J. Seiter's of New York, cataloged as Fuld 630BQ-2b. New York was the nation's commercial capital, with New York City alone producing hundreds of store card varieties from Broadway retailers to waterfront wholesalers. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 630BQ-2b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 17 cataloged varieties, PH.J. Seiter's was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630BQ-2b