(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-845B-1b, Skidmore's-H. Frantz NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Skidmore's-H. Frantz of New York. 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. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 845B-1b) is common to somewhat scarce. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. 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. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 1 cataloged varieties, Skidmore's-H. Frantz was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 845B-1b